THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


TREASURY 

0  F 

TRAVEL       AND       ADVENTURE 

1  N 

NORTH  AND  SOUTH  Ai/ERICA,   EUROPE,  ASIA 
AND  AFRICA. 


1865. 
New  York:       D.  Appleton  &  Co. 


Gcf>Z5 


TV^-. 


PREFACE. 


Blessed  is  tlie  stay-at-home  traveller.  Happy  is  lie 
who  can  sit  in  his  easy-chair,  and  roam  in  imagination 
all  over  the  world ;  who  can  take  a  pleasurable  part  in 
Indian  fights,  in  encounters  with  lions,  tigers,  and  rhino- 
ceroses, in  dreary  mountain  climbings,  in  passages  of 
parching  deserts,  in  dreadful  months  of  midnight  in  the 
Arctic  zone  ;  who  can  dive  into  the  depths  of  the  sea  or 
wing  an  aeronautic  flight  'Q.ye  miles  above  the  earth ; 
who  can  do  all  this  without  suffering  from  cold  or  heat, 
or  thirst,  or  hunger,  or  fatigue,  or  sorrow  of  any  kind  ; 
who  can  be  summoned  at  any  moment  from  his  farthest 
wanderings  by  the  pleasant  sound  of  the  dinner-bell ! 

This  is  to  have  the  seven-league  boots  of  the  fable. 
This  is  to  possess  the  Persian  carpet  which  could  carry 
its  owner,  at  his  will,  to  any  part  of  the  earth. 

Kot  lost  is  the  magic  power  of  the  carpet  and  the 


IVJS60417 


4  PEEFACE. 

boots.  We  have  it  all  here  in  this  book.  Whosoever 
buys  it  can  set  off  at  any  hour  that  he  likes,  and  journey 
and  explore  with  scores  of  intrepid  adventurers  for  com- 
pany, in  Mexico ;  in  the  Fiji  Islands ;  in  Africa ;  in 
China,  Japan,  and  the  Lew  Chew  Islands  ;  in  the  regions 
of  eternal  ice ;  among  the  ruined  empires  and  perished 
glories  of  the  East ;  in  every  portion  of  the  globe  where 
wonders  worth  the  gathering  are  to  be  found. 

For  these  excursions,  no  carpet-bag  of  spare  clothing 
— not  even  a  tooth-brush  and  collar — is  required ;  not  a 
sandwich,  nor  a  caraway  biscuit ;  not  a  medicine  chest 
of  vest-pocket  proportions  ;  nothing  but  a  light  heart, 
and  a  spirit  of  sympathy  with  the  zeal  and  courage  of 
the  brave  pioneers  and  explorers  who  have  starved  and 
thirsted  and  worn  the  shoes  off  their  feet,  that  the  world 
might  be  wiser  and  better. 

To  all  such  stay-at-home  travellers,  young  and  old, 
the  editor  of  this  volume  commends  it,  and  shakes  them 
by  the  hand,  and  wishes  them  a  pleasant  journey  through 
its  pages. 


CONTENTS. 


N OBTH  AKD  SOUTH  AMERICA. 

PAGB 

Adventuees  with  Beaes, 11 

The  Wae-Teail, 22 

Peaieie  Dog  Town, 52 

The  Oalifoenia  Geysees, 56 

Adventuee  among  the  Hudson's  Bay  Fue  Huntees,  .  .61 
Mustangs  on  the  "Rampage,"         .        .        .        .        .         70 

A  Fight  with  the  Apaches, 73 

The  Pimo  and  Ooco-Maeicopa  Indians,    ....         79 

The  Petahaya, 90 

How  Gold  was  fiest  discoyeeed  in  Califoenia,       .        .        92 

The  Romance  of  Gold  Digging, 98 

The  Geeat  Meteoeite  of  New  Mexico,  .  ,  .  .  110 
An  Adventuee  in  the  Aeotio  Regions,  .  .  .  .115 
Lassoing  in  Paeaguay, 150 

EUROPE. 

An  Adventuee  in  the  Levant, 163 

The  Geysees  of  Iceland,  . 171 

Among  the  Russians, 178 

The  Yale  of  Avoca,  .  .  .  .  •  .  .  .  187 
Chase  of  the  Eidee  Duck, 190 


6  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


The  Giant's  Oatjseway, 196 

The  Scheeckhoen, 202 

^TNA,      .         .         .         .         . 221 

ASIA. 

The  Amebic ans  in  Japan, 233 

Lew  Chew, '      .        .    •  254 

An  Adventure  in  China, 267 

A  IfiGHT  AMONG  Chinese  Pieates, 277 

Fiji  and  the  Fijians, 281 

Discoveries  in  Kineveh, 294 

Story  of  Aldibaran, 334 

Life  in  the  East  Indies,  ....        .        .        .       345 

An  Adventure  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,    ....  352 

AFKIOA. 

Confessions  of  a  Slave-Trader, 365 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  , 882 

Up  the  Casemanche, 888 

Elephants  and  Lions, 404 

Egyptian  Wonders, 427 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


* 

page 

Travellers  ix  South  Africa,  {frontispiece), 

to  face  page    11 

St.  Petersburg,         .           .            .           .            .        . 

"      178 

Landing  op  Americans  in  Japan, 

"      233 

Inspection  and  Sale  of  a  Negro, 

"      365 

A  Bear  at  Bay, 

.     17 

Indian  Head, 

29 

Group  of  Indians,      ...... 

.     35 

Indian  Woman  lamenting  her  Child,     . 

38 

Summer  Huts  of  Indians,     ..... 

.    44 

Figure  cut  in  Wood  by  Indians,             .            .            . 

50 

Group  of  Indians,   .            .            .            .            .    ,       . 

.       51 

Travellers  Reposing,      ..... 

54 

Beavers,        .           .           .        ♦  . 

.       62 

The  Happy  Family        ..... 

68 

Prairie  on  Fire,         ...... 

.       72 

Indian  Amusements,      ..... 

76 

Apache  Dandies,       .            .            . 

.      78 

Indian  Nose  Flute,          ..... 

80 

Indian  Relics,            ...... 

.       82 

Baskets  and  Pottery  of  the  Pimos  and  Coco-Maricopas, 

83 

Breech  Cloth,            ...... 

.       84 

Group  of  Indians,           .            .            .            . 

86 

Indian  Village, 

.88 

Pimo  Storehouse,           ..... 

89 

Indian  Mission,         ...... 

.       91 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Sutter's  Mill,      . 

Emigrant  Train, 

Suffering  Emigrants, 

Rush  for  the  Gold  Regions, 

A  Mining  Scene, 

Muddy  Streets  in  San  Francisco,  in  1849, 

Another  Scene  in  the  Gold  Mines, 

Lodging  Room, 

Miners  Homeward  Bound, 

Animals  of  North  America, 

Scene  in  the  Arctic  Regions,    . 

The  Polar  Bear, 

Esquimaux  and  their  Huts, 

A  Group  of  Laplanders,      . 

Lassoing  in  Paraguay,  . 

Constantinople, 

The  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia, 

The  Great  Geyser,   . 

Section  of  an  Intermediate  Spring, 

Section  of  a  Geyser, 

The  Emperor's  Palace,  St.  Petersburg, 

The  City  of  Moscow, 

The  Vale  of  Avoca,  Ireland, 

Chase  of  the  Eider  Duck,    . 

The  Giant's  Causeway, 

A  Scene  in  Switzerland, 

Mountain  Scenery  in  Switzerland, 

A  View  in  the  Alps, 

The  Rustic  Bridge, 

Yoku-Hama,  Bay  of  Yedo, 

Yedo  and  Simoda  Dogs  presented  to  Commodore  M 

Camida  Creek,  Bay  of  Hakodadi,  . 

Japanese  Pillow  and  "Writing  Implements,     . 

Japanese  Musical  Instruments, 

Japanese  Cabinet  Ware, 

Japanese  Clock  and  Shoes  Worn  by  Japanese 

Bay  of  Yedo,      ..... 


Perry, 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Lew  Chew  Islands, 
Scene  in  Lew  Chew, 
Bamboo  Village,  Lew  Chew, 
Lew  Chew  Peasant, 
Pekin,  China,, 
Chinese  Boat  Girl, 
Chinese  Woman  and  Child, 
One  of  the  People, 
Savu  Falls,    . 
Fijian  Clubs, 
Fijian  Pottery, 
Head  of  Chief  in  full  Dress, 
Do.  do.  do. 

Sleeping  Bures, 
Eagle-Headed  Figure, 
Discovery  of  the  Gigantic  Head 
Winged  Figure, 
The  King, 
The  Obelisk, 
Enemy  asking  quarter  of  Assyrian  Horsemen, 
Part  of  a  Bas-relief,  showing  a  PuUy,  and  a  Warrior  cutting  a  Bucket 

from  the  Rope,  ....... 

Sitting  Figure  in  Basalt,  from  Kalah  Sherghat, 

Scribes  writing  down  the  number  of  Heads  of  the  Slain,  and  the 

amount  of  the  Spoil,     ....... 

The  Egyptian  Goddess  Ken,     .  .  ... 

Assyrian  Deity,         ........ 

Bas-relief  representing  Warriors  before  a  Beseiged  City — A  Battering- 

Ram  drawn  up  to  the  walls,  and  captives  impaled, 
A  Ship  (Khorsabad),  ....... 

A  Ship  (Kouyunjik),      .  .  . 

Emblems  of  the  Deity,        ........ 

A  Temple  or  Fishing  Pavilion  supported  by  Proto-Ionic  Columns,  and 

standing  in  a  River  of  Artificial  Lake,     .... 

Ispahan,  Persia,        ........ 

Natives,   ......... 

A  Secure  Retreat,  ........ 

1* 


PAOX 

255 
259 
263 

266 

269 

271 

274 

282. 

284 

287 

289 

290 

291 

293 

802 

805 

307 

309 

311 

313 

815 
317 

319 
321 
321 


327 
329 
331 

332 
341 
846 
849 


10 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Matavai  Bay,  Sandwich  Islands,  . 

A  Volcano  on  one  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,    . 

Branding  a  Negress, 

Mandingo  Chief 

Cape  of  Good  Hope, 

Fingo  Woman,    . 

Caflfre  Chief, 

African  Women  Drawing  Water, 

African  Chief,  Soyola, 

An  African  Princess, 

An  Elephant  Hunt, 

Capture  of  the  Wild  Elephant, 

Lion  Hunting, 

Cairo,      .... 

The  Pyramids, 

Grand  Temple  at  Cairo, 


FAGB 

355 
361 
866 
370 
384 
385 
387 
390 
395 
397 
406 
409 
415 
428 
447 
452 


S'OETH  AND  SOUTH  AMERICA. 


ADVENTURES  WITH  BEARS. 


Evert  traveller  in  California  hears  more  or  less  of  "  gris- 
lies,"  and  many  and  wonderful  are  the  "  stiff  yams"  told  by 
old  hunters  and  trappers  up  at  the  mines  ;  but  I  am  not  now 
going  to  repeat  what  I  have  heard.  This  is  a  true  narrative, 
and  I  purpose  simply  to  relate  my  own  unvarnished  experi- 
ences. 

In  California,  which  is  a  strange  country,  one  is  often 
obl'g^d  to  take  to  strange  and  unusual  pursuits  to  earn  a  liv- 


12  NOKTH    AND    SOUTH    AMEEICA. 

ing.  I  know  that  I  had  to  do  so.  One  of  my  occupations, 
during  the  time  I  dwelt  there,  was  that  of  a  boatman  in  the 
harbor.  In  conjunction  with  another  young  adventurer,  I 
owned  a  large  boat ;  and  when  not  engaged  with  freight  or 
passengers,  we  often  used  to  take  a  trip  across  the  bay,  some 
twelve  miles  in  distance,  load  with  timber,  which  we  procured 
by  felling  trees  in  the  wood  that  fringed  the  shore,  transport 
it  to  San  Francisco,  and  dispose  of  it  to  the  shopkeepers  there. 
At  that  time  wood  was  the  only  fuel  to  be  obtained  in  the  city. 
As  these  expeditions  often  consumed  a  couple  of  days  and  a 
night,  we  had  constructed  a  rude  shanty  in  the  wood,  close  to 
the  shore,  under  which  we  slept.  This  shanty,  or  hut,  was 
formed  simply  of  bc^ughs  of  trees,  etc.,  and  only  boasted  of 
three  walls,  the  fourth  being  supplied  by  our  fire,  which  we 
regularly  lighted  at  night  and  kept  burning  till  morning.  One 
night,  about  nine  o'clock,  we  were  extended  on  our  blankets  in 
the  shanty,  just  on  the  point  of  dropping  into  that  deep  and 
dreamless  sleep  which  labor  alone  earns,  when  our  ears  were 
suddenly  saluted  by  a  deep  and  prolonged  roar,  evidently  pro- 
ceeding from  some  distance  in  the  woods. 

"  That's  a  bear,"  said  my  mate. 

"  It  is,"  said  I. 

With  this  short  dialogue  our  conversation  ceased,  and  my 
companion  turned  over  and  seemed  to  go  to  sleep,  but  I  could 
not.  All  the  terrible  stories  of  grisly  bears  which  I  had  ever 
heard  began  to  catalogue  themselves  in  my  imagination  with 
most  unpleasant  vividness,  and  I  reflected  moodily  on  the 
trifling  defence  we  could  offer,  should  a  bear  attack  us.  His 
rush  would  bring  down  the  walls  of  our  poor  little  shanty  about 
our  ears,  and  our.  only  arms  were  two  short  guns  and  a  brace 
of  bowie  knives — poor  weapons  of  defence  in  such  a  serious 
encounter. 

Thus  an  hour  passed  away,  and  I  lay  glancing  alternately 
at  the  fire  and  out  in  the  woods  through  the  chinks  of  our 
shanty  (for  it  was  a   lovely  moonlight  night) ,  when  again 


ADVENTURES   WITH   BEARS.  13 

presently  a  roar,  deeper,  and  certainly  nearer,  rang  upon  the 
silent  night  air,  and  my  companion  suddenly  sat  up.  Like  me, 
he  had  only  been  pretending  sleep,  and  had  not  cared  to  explain 
his  fears.  Now  he  spoke,  and  said,  "  Do  you  think  it's  safe 
here?" 

"  No,  I  don't,"  I  rejoined ;  and,  the  ice  being  broken,  we 
simultaneously  sprang  to  our  feet  and  looked  around.  Nothing 
living  was  in  sight ;  but  again  a  roar  unpleasantly  near  made 
itself  heard  to  our  listening  ears.  We  took  the  hint,  and  in 
two  minutes  we  had  packed  up  our  traps,  and  were  racing 
down  to  the  boat,  some  two  hundred  yards  distant.  Hastily 
launching  her,  we  put  a  good  hundred  yards  between  us  and 
the  shore,  and  anchored.  Throwing  ourselves  under  the 
thwart  of  the  boat,  we  made  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  cir- 
cumstances would  permit,  and  snoringly  emulated  the  growl- 
ings  of  the  bear,  soon  after  we  had  stretched  ourselves  on  the 
hard  planks. 

We  were  awakened  in  a  few  hours  by  a  fresh  alarm.  All 
in  a  moment,  as  it  seemed,  though  it  must  have  taken  place 
gradually,  my  mate  rolled  violently  on  the  top  of  me.  As,  I 
suppose,  my  mind  had  been  filled  all  night  with  dreamy  visions 
of  grisly  bears,  I  concluded,  on  being  thus  abruptly  awakened^ 
that  I  was  assaulted  by  one  of  them,  and  instantly  I  grappled 
with  my  foe,  who  grappled  with  me  in  return.  It  took  a  min- 
ute or  two  to  satisfy  each  of  us  that  the  hug  in  which  we  found 
ourselves  locked  was  human  instead  of  ursine.  With  a  laugh 
we  released  each  other,  and  then  discovered  the  cause  of  the 
accident.  The  fact  was,  while  we  slept,  the  tide  had  run  out, 
and  we  were  high  and  dry.  Of  course,  as  the  water  left  us^ 
our  boat  heeled  over,  till  at  last  she  lay  on  her  side,  and,  as  I 
was  to  leeward  of  my  companion,  he  rolled  down  upon  me. 
With  no  good  feelings  toward  the  bear  tribe  in  general,  we 
propped  up  our  boat  again  to  a  level  keel,  and  betook  ourselves 
once  more  to  slumber,  not  awaking  till  the  sun  rose  bright  and 
cheerful  in  the  blue  unclouded  Califomian  skv. 


14  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

Such  was  my  first  distant  introduction  to  a  grisly  bear. 
At  a  later  period,  I  was  cruising  about  the  bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  a  ship's  long-boat,  with  three  or  four  sailors,  in  search 
of  any  "  wreck"  (or  "  flotsam,"  as  our  old  statutes  would  call 
it),  such  as  building-piles  or  spars  of  vessels,  that  Ave  might 
chance  to  come  across.  Sometimes  these  expeditions  were 
successful,  at  other  times  a  failure.  I  remember  once,  after  a 
severe  easterly  gale,  we  picked  up  a  number  of  valuable  arti- 
cles, evidently  from  the  wreck  of  some  unfortunate  vessel. 
Amongst  the  spoil  was  a  cask  of  lime  juice,  and  another  cask 
of  preserved  eggs,  for  which  we  obtained  the  several  prices 
of  fifty  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars — sums  which,  in 
English  money,  are  together  equivalent  to  about  £38.  The 
latter  may  seem  a  large  price  ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  remem- 
ber that  at  that  time — ^namely,  in  1849 — ^provisions  of  all 
kinds  were  fearfully  expensive,  especially  eggs,  which  were 
very  scarce. 

But  to  continue  my  narrative.  I  have  said  that  we  were 
sailing  about  the  harbor  in  search  of  wreck,  and,  as  often  hap- 
pened, night  closed  upon  us  when  we  were  a  long  way  from  home. 
I  believe  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  is  some  thirty  miles  in 
length ;  so,  according  to  our  custom,  we  made  for  the  nearest 
land,  anchored  our  boat,  and  went  ashore.  In  what  particular 
portion  of  the  bay  we  were  situated,  none  of  us  knew  or  cared. 
It  seemed  a  somewhat  desolate  spot,  as  far  as  we  could  discern 
through  the  dark  and  drear  autumn  night.  However,  our  re- 
quisites for  camping — namely,  wood  and  water — were  easily 
procured,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  capital  fire  sent  forth  its 
cheerful  blaze  and  genial  heat.  Then  our  blankets,  fryingpan, 
kettle,  etc.,  were  brought  ashore,  and  in  a  short  time  our 
preparations  for  supper  were  complete.  The  kettle  was  sing- 
ing on  the  embers,  the  fryingpan  was  spluttering  away  with 
the  rashers,  and  the  wave-worn  wreckers  were  seated  in  a 
row,  gazing  with  hungry  and  anxious  faces  on  the  approaching 
"  feed ; "  when  suddenly  a  dark  and  formidable-looking  object 


I 


ADVENTURES   WITH    BEARS.  15 

emerged  from  the  gloom  of  night  in  the  landward  direction, 
and  advanced  slowly  toward  our  fire. 

"  A  bear,  and  a  grisly  one,"  shouted  the  American  we  had 
with  us,  as  we  all  started  to  our  feet.  That  was  enough. 
Sauve  qui  pent  was  the  order  of  the  day.  Resistance  was  not 
for  a  moment  thought  of.  Supper  and  our  traps  were  in  an 
instant  abandoned,  and  pell-mell  we  rushed  down  to  the  beach, 
and  never  loolied  behind  till  we  were  fairly  in  the  boat  and 
getting  the  anchor  up.  Then,  what  a  sight  greeted  us ! 
There  sat  our  grisly  enemy  on  his  haunches,  gazing  with  the 
greatest  nonchalance  into  the  glowing  embers  of  the  fire — our 
fire — and  evidently  enjoying  the  pleasant  warmth,  while  we 
were  shivering  in  the  cold.  Slowly  and  sadly  we  got  up  our 
anchor ;  more  slowly  and  more  sadly  still,  we  placed  our  oars 
in  the  rowlocks  and  "  gave  way,"  in  a  very  melancholy  n^pod  ; 
but  as  our  boat  struck  out  on  her  course,  our  eyes  were  still 
fixed  on  the  receding  shore,  where  the  fire  still  blazed  brightly, 
where  the  bear  still  sat  on  his  haunches  gazing  into  the  blaze, 
and  where  our  supper  was  by  this  time  nearly  ready  for  his 
hungry  maw,  by  us  uneaten. 

Now,  perhaps,  some  gallant  volunteer  reading  this,  would 
consider  that  in  this  last  affair,  like  the  former  one,  the  white 
feather  was  shown  by  the  writer  and  his  companions  ;  but  our 
volunteer  would  be  mistaken.  To  cope  with  a  grisly  bear  a 
good  rifle  and  a  good  rifleman  are  absolutely  essential.  The 
rifleman  must  also  be  a  first-rate  hunter,  accustomed  to  kill 
large  game  ;  for  the  sport  is  intensely  dangerous,  as  it  is  only 
in  one  or  two  places  that  a  wound  can  be  inflicted  which  would 
prove  instantaneously  mortal  on  this  toughest  of  monsters ; 
and,  should  the  shot  fail,  the  hunter  would  have  no  time  to 
load  again  ere  the  beast  would  be  upon  him.  Hardy  trappers 
and  hunters  in  the  prairie  shrink  alone  from  a  conflict  with  the 
grisly  bear ;  and  the  Indian  brave  who  prevails  over  him  ad- 
vances a  greater  step  in  the  estimation  of  Indian  chivalry, 
than  if  he  had  taken  three  scalps  from  human  foes  in  a  fair 
stand-up  fight. 


16  NORTH   AND   SOUTH    AMERICA. 

After  I  had  been  a  denizen  of  California  for  some  two 
years,  business  compelled  me  to  take  my  departure  for  the 
neighboring  State  of  Oregon.  When  my  affairs  in  that  State 
were  arranged,  I  determined  to  travel  back  overland  to  San 
Francisco,  in  company  with  a  mule  train  proceeding  there — no 
slight  journey,  as  it  embraced  a  distance  of  some  thousand 
miles,  not  exactly  over  a  macadamized  road.  On  the  contrary, 
mounted  on  good  horses,  we  followed  a  slight  Indian  "  trail," 
scarcely  ever  of  more  importance  than  a  sheep  track,  and  oft- 
times  quite  obliterated.  I  shall,  however,  avoid  a  long  digres- 
sion of  describing  how  we  climbed  mountains,  forded  rivers, 
and  skirted  precipices,  and  how  we  more  than  once  had  peril- 
ous skirmishes  with  Indians.  The  grisly  bear  is  my  theme, 
and  it  devolves  upon  me  now  simply  to  relate  how  a  third  time 
I  calie  into  juxtaposition  with  this  formidable  foe. 

After  travelling  very  hard  for  a  week  or  so,  we  found  our- 
selves one  night  camped  on  the  banks  ol  the  Roque  River,  one 
of  the  rivers  of  Oregon,  where  gold  has  since  been  discovered  ; 
and,  as  our  cattle  were  rather  in  a  poor  condition,  we  resolved 
to  give  them  a  rest  by  camping  all  the  next  day.  Feeling  my- 
self, in  the  course  of  that  day,  inclined  for  a  gentle  ride, 
toward  the  afternoon  I  saddled  my  horse,  a  good  specimen 
of  Indian  breed,  which  I  had  bought  from  a  Pawnee  chief. 
Taking  my  rifle  across  my  saddle-bags,  I  set  off  to  see  whether 
I  could  get  a  shot  at  an  elk — a  species  of  deer  commonly 
called  wapiti,  which  abound  in  that  region.  I  rode  out  from 
camp,  and,  after  cantering  some  four  or  five  miles,  came  to 
the  end  of  the  little  prairie  on  which  we  were  camped,  and 
got  into  broken  ground,  well  wooded,  and  with  a  thick  gi'owth 
of  "  chapparal,"  that  is,  "  underwood." 

Moving  along  at  a  slow  amble,  and  keeping  a  good  look-out 
for  game,  and  also  for  any  lurking  Indian — for  we  were  now 
on  hostile  ground — I  suddenly  felt  my  horse  tremble  under  me, 
and  rapidly  quicken  his  pace  to  a  slashing  gallop.  Looking  to 
my  right  hand,  to  my  intense  astonishment,  and  I  may  say 


ADVENTURES   WITH   BEARS. 


17 


fear,  I  beheld  a  monstrous  bear,  evidently  an  old  grisly,  rising 
from  his  lair  beneath  a  tree. 

In  a  moment  I  knew  he  would  pursue  me,  for  I  had 
"  crossed  his  wind."  This  requires  explanation ;  but  I  had 
often  been  told  by  hunters  of  experience  that  this  species  of 


A   BEAR   AT   BAT. 


bear  does  not  attack  men  if  they  pass  sideways  or  in  his  rear ; 
but  should  they,  on  the  other  hand,  pass  to  windward,  he  is 
instantly  exasperated  and  gives  chase.  Whether  this  state- 
ment is  fanciful  or  not,  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  in  my  case  it 
proved  too  true ;  for  in  another  instant  the  grisly  seemed  to 
have  made  up  his  mind,  and  was  advancing  toward  us  in  full 
pursuit. 

Now,  had  I  been  upon  the  prairie,  I  should  have  cared 
little  for  my  foe.  I  knew  my  horse,  and  though  he  was  of 
Indian  breed,  as  I  have  said  before,  he  was  remarkably  fleet 
in  his  gallop  ;  and  the  grisly  bear,  though  his  speed,  especially 
for  a  short  time,  is  not  to  be  despised,  is  certainly  no  match 


18  NORTH   AND   SOUTH    AMEEICA. 

for  a  fleet  horse  on  a  level ;  but  then,  in  this  case  the  brush- 
wood was  very  heavy,  and  only  to  be  passed  by  a  succession 
of  small  leaps,  fearfully  delaying  at  a  time  like  this,  while  my 
pursuer's  heavy  body  crushed  indifFegrently  through  bush  and 
briar.  With  the  end  of  my  lasso,  my  spur,  and  voice,  I  urged 
on  my  terrified  horse.  The  rein  with  Indian  horses  is  of  little 
avail ;  they  do  not  understand  the  bit,  and  in  a  case  of  emer- 
gency it  is  better  not  to  make  much  use  of  it.  My  poor  horse, 
however,  required  neither  of  these  inducements  to  do  his  best. 
His  Indian  instincts  had  told  him  that  a  dreaded  foe  was  at 
hand,  and  nobly  did  he  strain  every  nerve  to  save  himself  and 
his  rider.  With  one  eye  upon  our  course,  I  regarded  at  inter- 
vals our  dreadful  pursuer.  Infinitely  quicker  than  it  takes  to 
write  it,  I  at  once  appreciated  the  desperate  nature  of  the  sit- 
uation. In  the  first  place,  I  saw  that  in  our  relative  speed  my 
horse  was  much  inferior  to  our  enemy,  and  that  he  was  near- 
ing  us  fast,  owing,  as  I  said  before,  to  the  broken  ground. 
Unless,  then,  I  could  gain  the  edge  of  the  prairie  in  a  compar- 
atively short  period,  a  death  struggle  must  inevitably  ensue. 
But  then  I  calculated,  in  the  second  place,  that  I  must  be  at 
least  a  mile  from  the  prairie,  that  wished-for  refuge,  and  at 
less  than  half  that  distance  I  should  be  overtaken.  True,  I 
had  my  rifle  in  my  hand,  and  my  revolver  in  my  belt,  both 
loaded.  I  might  fire  at  our  foe.  A  moment's  reflection  con- 
vinced me  that  at  present  it  would  be  a  useless  attempt.  Even 
were  I  standing  on  firm  footing,  I  might  not  succeed  in  send- 
ing a  ball  into  any  vulnerable  part  of  the  bear.  But  a  flying 
shot  from  the  saddle — it  was  simply  absurd  to  attempt  it.  A 
thousand  to  one  it  would  have  proved  a  failure.  I  determined, 
then,  to  reserve  my  fire  till  we  should  be  at  close  quarters,  a 
contingency  that,  sad  to  say,  appeared  most  unpleasantly  immi- 
nent ;  for  in  spite  of  all  my  horsemanship,  and  the  gallant 
efibrts  of  my  Indian  steed,  a  space  of  hardly  twenty  yards  now 
intervened  between  pursuer  and  pursued.  The  moment,  then, 
was.  approaching  for  action.     Dropping  my  useless  reins  on 


ADVENTUKES   WITH   BEAKS.  19 

my  horse's  neck,  I  examined  carefully  the  cap  of  my  rifle, 
opened  the  flap  of  the  case  of  my  revolver,  and  by  a  glance 
assured  myself  that  my  "  Green  River  Knife"  (the  best  make 
of  bowie  knives)  was  in  its  usual  place — my  boot.  Then  I 
carefully  threw  back  the  heavy  folds  of  the  Mexican  poncho  I 
wore,  to  leave  my  arms  free  to  hold  my  rifle.  As  I  did  so,  an 
idea  struck  me.  In  a  moment  I  had  slipped  my  head  out  of 
the  *poncho,  and  had  it  in  my  hands,  allowing  it  to  flutter  to 
the  full  extent  of  its  folds.  Then  I  released  it  from  my 
grasp,  and  it  fell,  as  I  designed,  between  my  horse  and  our 
enemy. 

My  stratagem  was  successful ;  in  the  midst  of  his  wild 
career  the  bear  suddenly  pulled  up  at  the  sight  of  the  fallen 
mantle,  and  stood  over  it 'examining  it  curiously.  Well  was 
it  for  me  that  in  my  younger  days  I  had  been  a  keen  reader 
of  travels  and  adventures,  and  by  that  means  become  pos- 
sessor of  the  little  stratagem  that  had  perhaps  saved  my  life. 
I  again  seized  my  abandoned  reins,  and  with  voice  and  spur 
urged  on  my  panting  steed.  It  was  well  I  did  so.  After  a 
few  second's  delay,  which,  however,  enabled  me  to  put  an  in- 
terval of  perhaps  a  hundred  yards  between  us,  my  ruthless  foe 
again  resumed  his  pursuit.  Again  he  had  the  advantage  in 
speed.  In  vain  was  all  my  horsemanship  ;  in  vain  did  I  sac- 
rifice my  Mexican  sombrero,  by  throwing  it  to  mother  earth, 
devoutly  hoping  it  would  have  the  same  effect  as  the  poncho. 
It  was  useless.  Bruin  passed  it  with  contempt ;  he  was  not  to 
be  "  done  "  a  second  time. 

On  went  the  chase,  and  again  did  I  have  the  mortification 
of  seeing  the  space  between  us  gradually  diminish,  and  my 
fate  but  a  question  of  minutes.  As  this  direful  conviction 
forced  itself  with  irresistible  power  on  my  mind,  even  at  the 
very  next  moment  a  ray  of  hope  burst  upon  me.  I  cast  a  de- 
spairing glance  ahead,  and  to  my  intense  relief  saw  the  ground 
was  getting  clearer.  I  was  close  to  the  edge  of  the  prairie. 
I  shouted  aloud  in  exultation  ;  for,  as  the  ground  got  more  and 


20  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEKICA. 

more  unencumbered,  my  horse  drew  gradually  ahead.  A 
few  seconds  sufficed  to  double  the  space  that  intervened  be- 
tween us  and  our  foe.  A  few  minutes,  and  we  had  gained 
a  full  hundred  yards.  Hurrah !  A  few  hundred  yards 
more,  and  we  shall  be  safe — safe  on  the  prairie.  At  this 
moment  a  stumble  and  a  crash  ensued.  A  thousand  lights 
danced  before  my  eyes.  My  sorely-pressed  Indian  steed 
had  lost  his  foothold  on  the  polished  surface  of  a  prostrate 
barked  pine  tree,  and  together  we  had  come  headlong  to  the 
ground.  Half  stunned  by  the  fall,  nevertheless  I  scrambled  to 
my  feet  in  a  second,  and  seized  my  rifle,  which  lay  uninjured 
close  at  hand,  and  looked  around.  My  poor  horse  still  lay 
where  he  fell,  snorting  piteously  with  fear.  Intuitively 
I  felt  there  was  not  time  to  raise'  him  and  mount  ere  our 
enemy  would  be  upon  us.  There  was  but  one  hope  now  re- 
maining :  it  was  to  fight  for  it.  Sternly  and  gloomily  I  men- 
tally accepted  the  alternative,  and  with  a  throbbing  heart  but 
a  steady  eye  and  firm  wrist,  with  my  rifle  at  my  shoulder,  with 
my  back  against  a  tree,  I  waited  for  my  foe.  I  had  not  to 
wait  long.  On  he  came  ;  for  a  moment  I  thought  he  hesitated 
which  to  attack — my  steed  or  myself.  I  confess,  in  that  mo- 
ment of  peril  I  sincerely  wished  he  would  single  out  the  former, 
who  lay  some  ten  yards  distant  from  me  ;  but  it  was  not  to  be. 
Slightly  diverging,  the  bear  charged  full  upon  me.  I  knew 
my  life  depended  upon  the  accuracy  of  my  first  shot ;  if  it 
failed,  I  should  hardly  have  time  to  draw  forth  my  revolver 
for  another. 

When  but  ten  yards  lay  between  us,  and  he  was  gathering 
himself  up  for  the  final  spring,  I  took  careful  aim  between  the 
eyes,  and  fired.  A  crash,  a  hideous  growl,  a  second  of  intense 
suspense,  the  smoke  lifted,  and  I  alone  stood  erect.  The  hid- 
eous, gigantic  form  of  my  adversary  lay  prostrate  on  the 
ground,  a  nervous  twitching  of  the  limbs  alone  betraying  that 
life  had  not  yet  departed.  With  a  cry  of  triumph  I  rushed 
upon  him  to  administer  the  coup  de  grace.     Madman  that  I 


ADVENTUEES   WITH   SEARS.  21 

• 

was  !  in  that  moment  of  exultation  I  lost  my  presence  of  mind 
and  neglected  to  reload  my  trusty  rifle.  I  did  not  even  draw 
my  revolver,  but  with  insensate  wildness  clubbed  my  rifle,  and 
struck  the  monster  over  his  adamantine  head.  Contemptible 
idea  !  the  stock  of  my  rifle  was  shattered  by  the  blow,  and  but 
the  barrel  remained  in  my  hand.  The  blow  I  had  directed  on 
the  head  of  my  adversary  was  simply  reviving.  It  had  the 
effect  that  a  dose  of  hartshorn  has  in  a  fainting  fit — it  brought 
him  to.  He  had  been  only  stunned  by  the  ball.  Grim, 
ghastly,  and  bleeding,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  confronted  me. 
A  pang  of  surprise  and  remorse  at  my  own  gross  stupi(^ty 
shot  painfully  across  my  heart.  Fortunately,  in  that  moment 
of  horror  I  remained  cool.  "With  the  speed  of  thought,  I  had 
drawn  and  cocked  my  revolver  and  ensconsed  myself  behind  a 
tree.  With  weak  and  faltering  steps,  but  still  with  fast  renew- 
ing strength,  my  opponent  charged  down  to  my  tree.  I  stepped 
aside,  which  caused  him  to  make  a  slight  detour  ;  and  at  this 
instant  I  fired  a  chamber  of  my  revolver.  He  did  not  drop, 
but,  raising  himself  on  his  hind  legs,  he  threw  himself  upon 
me.  I  awaited  him  in  desperate  calmness,  though  at  this  mo- 
ment he  presented  a  terrific  spectacle,  with  glaring  eyes,  grin- 
ning tusks,  and  tongue  dropping  foam  and  blood.  Almost  I 
felt  his  hot  breath  on  my  cheek,  when  I  again  fired  point-blank 
at  his  head.  The  next  instant  a  blow  from  his  fore  paw 
knocked  the  weapon  from  my  hand  ;  that  effort,  however,  was 
his  last.  With  trembling  joy  I  saw  his  huge  carcass  sink  to 
the  earth,  and  his  life  departed  in  one  indescribable  growl  of 
rage  and  pain. 

With  a  thankful  heart  for  so  wonderful  a  deliverance,  I  now 
went  to  raise  my  poor  steed  to  his  feet,  and  rode  into  camp, 
where,  amid  many  an  ejaculation  of  astonishment,  I  told  my 
tale,  and  exhibited  my  trophy  in  the  shape  of  the  skin,  of  which 
I  had  denuded  my  dead  antagonist. 

Such  was  my  last  interview  with  the  tribe  of  grislies. 
When  I  say  my  last  interview,  I  cannot  quite  literally  make 


22 


NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 


the  assertion.  "  Again  we  met,"  but  in  a  nmch  more  pleasant 
fashion  for  myself.  Dining  one  day  at  Delmonico's,  in  Mont- 
gomery street,  San  Francisco,  I  observed  on  the  table,  in  com- 
pany with  several  comestibles  unknown  to  civilized  gourmands 
of  the  old  country — such  as  flying  squirrel,  raccoon,  etc. — a 
portion  of  my  ancient  enemy ;  and  I  must  confess  that  I  ate  a 
piece  of  him  with  a  certain  peculiar  gusto.  My  vindictive 
feeling,  however,  was  punished,  for  I  had  a  most  unpleasant 
attack  of  indigestion  afterwards.  I  lay  down  my  pen,  and 
conclude  with  the  parting  remark,  that  I  should  advise  any 
one  who  places  a  due  and  proper  value  on  his  life,  to  avoid  the 
least  intimacy,  unless  caged,  or  stuffed,  with  the  far-famed 
monster  of  the  far  West — the  grisly  bear. 


THE  WAR-TRAIL. 


The  band  was  mounted  by  earliest  dawn  ;  and  as  the  notes 
of  the  bugle  died  away,  our  horses  plashed  through  the  river, 
crossing  to  the  other  side.  We  soon  debouched  from  the  tim- 
bered bottom,  coming  out  upon  sandy  plains  that  stretched 
westward  to  the  Mimbres  Mountains.  We  rode  over  these 
plains  in  a  southerly  direction,  climbing  long  ridges  of  sand 


THE   WAE-TEAIL.  23 

that  traversed  them  from  east  to  west.  The  drift  lay  in  deep 
furrows ;  and  our  horses  sunk  above  the  fetlocks  as  we 
journeyed.  We  were  crossing  the  western  section  of  the 
"  Jornada." 

We  travelled  in  Indian  file.  Habit  has  formed  this  dispo- 
sition among  Indians  and  hunters  on  the  march.  The  tangled 
paths  of  the  forests,  and  the  narrow  defiles  of  the  mountains, 
admit  of  no  other.  Even  when  passing  a  plain,  our  cavalcade 
was  strung  out  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  The  atajo  followed 
in  charge  of  the  ''  arrieros." 

For  the  first  day  of  our  march  we  kept  on  without  "  noon- 
ing." There  was  neither  grass  nor  water  on  the  route ;  and 
a  halt  under  the  hot  sun  would  not  have  refreshed  us. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  a  dark  line  became  visible,  stretch- 
ing across  the  plain.  As  we  drew  nearer,  a  green  wall  rose 
before  us  ;  and  we  distinguished  the  groves  of  cottonwood. 
The  hunters  knew  it  to  be  the  timbers  on  the  Paloma.  We 
were  soon  passing  under  the  shade  of  its  quivering  canopy ; 
and  reaching  the  banks  of  a  clear  stream,  we  halted  for  the 
night. 

Our  camp  was  formed  without  either  tents  or  lodges. 
Those  used  on  the  Del  Norte  had  been  left  behind  in  cache. 
An  expedition  like  ours  could  not  be  cumbered  with  camp 
baggage.  Each  man's  blanket  was  his  house,  his  bed,  and 
his  cloak. 

Fires  were  kindled,  and  ribs  roasted ;  and,  fatigued  with 
our  journey — the  first  day's  ride  has  always  this  effect — ^we 
were  soon  wrapped  in  our  blankets,  and  sleeping  soundly. 

We  were  summoned,  next  morning,  by  the  call  of  the  bugle 
sounding  "  reveille."  The  band  partook  somewhat  of  a  mili- 
tary organization  ;  and  every  one  knew  the  signals 'of  the  light 
cavalry. 

Our  breakfast  was  soon  cooked  and  eaten  ;  our  horses  were 
drawn  from  the  pickets,  saddled,  and  mounted ;  and,  at  another 
signal,  -^^e  moved  forward  on  the  route. 


24  NORTH   AND    SOUTH   AMERICA. 

The  incidents  of  our  first  journey  were  repeated,  with  but 
little  variety,  for  several  days  in  succession.  "We  travelled 
through  a  desert  country,  her&  and  there  covered  with  wild 
sage  and  mezquite. 

We  passed  on  our  route  clumps  of  cacti,  and  thickets  of 
creosote  bushes,  that  emitted  their  foul  odors  as  we  rode 
through  them.  On  the  fourth  evening  we  camped  at  a  spring, 
the  "  Ojo  de  Yaca,"  lying  on  the  eastern  borders  of  the  Llanos. 

Over  the  western  section  of  this  great  prairie  passes  the 
Apache  war-trail,  running  southward  into  Sonora.  Near  the 
trail,  and  overlooking  it,  a  high  mountain  rises  out  of  the  plain. 
It  is  called  the  Pinon. 

It  was  our  design  to  reach  this  mountain,  and  cache  among 
the  rocks,  near  a  well  known  spring,  until  our  enemies  should 
pass  ;  but  to  effect  this  we  would  have  to  cross  the  war-trail, 
and  our  own  tracks  would  betray  us  !  Here  was  a  difficulty, 
which  had  not  occurred  to  Seguin.  There  was  no  other  point 
except  the  Pinon,  from  which  we  could  60  certainly  see  the 
enemy  on  their  route,  and  be  ourselves  hidden.  This  moun- 
tain then  must  be  reached ;  and  how  were  we  to  effect  it  with- 
out crossing  the  trail  ? 

After  our  arrival  at  Ojo  de  Yaca,  Seguin  drew  the  men  to- 
gether to  deliberate  on  this  matter. 

*^  Let  us  spread,"  said  a  hunter,  "  and  keep  wide  over  the 
prairie,  till  we've  got  clar  past  the  A^asli  trail.  They  wont 
notice  a  single  track  hyar  and  thar,  I  reckin." 

"Ay,  but  they  will  though,"  rejoined  another.  "Do  ye 
think  an  Injun's  agoin'  to  pass  a  shod  horse-track  'ithout  fol- 
lerin  it  up  ?     No,  siree  !  " 

"  We  kin  muffle  the  hoofs,  as  far  as  that  goes,"  suggested 
the  first  speaker. 

"  Wagh  !  That  ud  only  make  it  worse.  I  tried  that  dodge 
once  afore,  an'  nearly  lost  my  har  for  it.  ^  He's  a  blind  Injun 
can  be  fooled  that  away.     'Twont  do  nohow." 

"  They're  not  goin'  to  be  so  partickler  when  they'rp  on  the 


THE  WAK-TRAIL.  25 

war-trail,  I  warrant  ye.  I  don't  see  why  it  shouldn't  do  well 
enough." 

Most  of  the  hunters  agreed  with  the  former  speaker.  The 
Indians  would  not  fail  to  notice  so  many  muffled  tracks  :  and 
suspect  there  was  "something  in  the  vrind."  The  idea  of 
"  muffling  "  was  therefore  abandoned.     What  next  ? 

The  trapper  Eube — who,  up  to  this  time,  had  said  nothing 
— ^now  drew  the  attention  of  all  by  abruptly  exclaiming, 
"  Pish ! " 

"  Well ! — ^what  have  you  to  say,  old  boss?"  inquired  one 
of  the  hunters. 

"  That  yur  a  set  o'  cussed  fools,  one  and  all  o'ee.  I  kud 
take  the  full  o*  that  parairy  o'  horses  acrosst  the  Pash-trail, 
'ithout  making  a  sign  that  any  Injun's  a  gwine  to  foller — par- 
ticklerly  an  Injun  on  the  war  beat  like  them  is  now." 

"  How?"  asked  Seguin. 

"  I'll  tell  yur  how,  Cap,  av  yur'll  tell  me  what'ee  want  to 
cross  the  trail  for  ?  " 

"  Why — ^to  conceal  ourselves  in  the  Pinon  range — what 
else?" 

"  An'  how  are  'ee  gwine  to  cache  in  the  Peenyun  'ithout 
water  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  spring  on  the  side  of  it,  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain." 

"  That's  true  as  Scripter.  I  know  that,  but  at  that  very 
spring  the  Injuns  *11  cool  thur  lappers  as  they  go  down  south'ard. 
How  are  'ee  gwine  to  get  at  it  with  this  cavayard  'thout  makin' 
sign  ?     This  child  don't  see  this  very  clur." 

"  You  are  right,  Rube.  We  cannot  touch  the  Pinon  spring 
without  leaving  our  marks  too  plainly ;  and  it  is  the  place 
where  the  war-party  may  make  a  halt." 

"  I  sees  no  confounded  use  in  the  hul  on  us  crossin'  the 
parairy  now.  We  kant  hunt  buffler  till  they've  passed  any- 
ways. So  its  this  child's  idea  that  a^  dozen  o'  us  '11  be  enough 
to  cache  in  the  Peenyun,  and  watch  for  the  niggurs  agoin* 
2 


26  NORTH  AND  SOUTH    AMERICA. 

south.  A  dozen  mout  do  it  safe  enough,  but  not  the  whole 
cavayard." 

"  And  would  you  have  the  rest  remain  here  ?  " 

"  Not  hyar.  Let  them  go  northart  from  hyar,  and  then 
strike  west  through  the  Musquite  hills.  Thur's  a  crick  runs 
thur,  about  twenty  miles ,  or  so  this  side  the  trail.  They  kin 
get  water  and  grass  and  cache  thur  till  we  sends  for  em." 

"  But  why  not  remain  by  this  spring,  where  we  have  both 
in  plenty  ?  " 

"  Cap'n,  jest  because  some  o'  the  Injun  party  may  take  a 
notion  in  thur  heads  to  kum  this  way  themselves.  I  reckin' 
we  had  better  make  blind  tracks  afore  leavin'  hyur." 

The  force  of  Rube's  reasoning  was  apparent  to  all ;  and  to 
none  more  than  Seguin  himself.  It  was  resolved  to  follow  his 
advice  at  once.  The  vidette  party  was  detailed ;  and  the  rest 
of  the  band,  with  the  atajo — after  blinding  the  tracks  around 
the  spring— struck  off  in  a  north-westerly  direction. 

They  were  to  travel  on  to  the  Mezquite  hills,  that  lay  some 
ten  or  twelve  mUes  to  the  northwest  of  the  stream — well  known 
to  several  of  them — and  wait  until  warned  to  join  us. 

The  vidette  party — of  whom  I  was  one — moved  westward 
across  the  prairie. 

Rube,  Garey,  El  Sol,  and  his  sister,  with  Sanchez — a  ci- 
devant  buU-fighter — and  half  a  dozen  others,  composed  the 
party.     Seguin  himself  was  our  head  and  guide. 

Before  leaving  the  Ojo  de  Vaca,  we  had  stripped  the  shoes 
off  our  horses — filling  the  nail  holes  with  clay — so  that  their 
tracks  would  be  taken  for  wild  mustangs  !  Such  were  the  pre- 
cautions of  men  who  knew  that  their  lives  might  be  the  forfeit 
of  a  single  footprint. 

As  we  approached  the  point  where  the  war-trail  intersected 
the  prairie,  we  separated  and  deployed  to  distances  of  a  half 
mile  each.  In  this  manner  we  rode  forward  to  the  Pinon 
mountain,  where  we  came  together  again  and  turned  north- 
ward along  the  foot  of  the  range. 


THE   WAE-TKAIL.  27 

It  was  sundown  when  we  reached  the  spring — ^liaving  rid- 
den all  day  across  the  plain.  We  descried  it,  as  we  approached, 
close  in  to  the  mountain  foot,  and  marked  by  a  grove  of  cotton- 
wood  and  willows.  We  did  not  take  our  horses  near  the  water  ; 
but,  having  reached  the  defile  in  the  mountain,  we  rode  into  it, 
and  cached  them  in  a  thicket  of  nut-pine.  In  this  thicket  we 
spent  the  night. 

With  the  first  light  of  morning  we  made  a  reconnoissance 
of  our  cach^. 

In  front  of  us  was  a  low  ridge  covered  with  loose  rocks 
and  straggling  trees  of  the  nut-pine.  This  ridge  separated  the 
defile  from  the  plain ;  and  from  its  top,  screened  by  a  thicket 
of  the  pines,  we  commanded  a  view  of  the  water,  as  well  as 
the  trail,  and  the  Llanos  stretching  away  to  the  north,  south, 
and  east.  It  was  just  the  sort  of  hiding-place  we  required  for 
our  object. 

In  the  morning  it  became  necessary  to  descend  for  water. 
For  this  purpose  we  had  provided  ourselves  with  a  mule, 
bucket,  and  extra  xuages.  We  visited  the  springs,  and  filled 
our  vessels — ^taking  care  to  leave  no  traces  of  our  footsteps  in 
the  mud. 

We  k,ept  constant  watch  during  the  first  day,  but  no  In- 
dians appeared.  Deer  and  antelopes,  with  a  small  gang  of 
buffaloes,  came  to  the  spring  branch  to  drink ;  and  then 
roamed  off  again  over  the  great  meadows.  It  was  a  tempting 
sight,  for  we  could  easily  have  crept  within  shot ;  but  we  dared 
not  touch  them.  We  knew  that  the  Indian  dogs  would  scent 
their  slaughter. 

In  the  evening  we  went  again  for  water — making  the  jour- 
ney twice — as  the  animals  began  to  suffer  from  thirst.  We 
adopted  the  same  precautions  as  before. 

Next  day  we  again  watched  the  horizon  to  the  north  with 
eager  eyes.  Segu^n  had  a  small  pocket  glass,  and  we  could 
see  the  prairie  with  it  for  a  distance  of  nearly  thirty  miles ; 
but  as  yet  no  enemy  could  be  descried. 


28  NORTH  AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

The  third  day  passed  with  a  like  result ;  and  we  began^o 
fear  that  the  warriors  had  taken  some  other  trail. 

Another  circumstance  rendered  us  uneasy.  We  had  eaten 
nearly  the  whole  of  our  provisions,  and  were  now  chewing  the 
raw  nuts  of  the  pinon.  We  dared  not  kindle  a  fire  to  roast 
them.     Indians  can  "  read"  the  smoke  at  a  great  ^distance. 

The  fourth  day  arrived,  and  still  no  "  §igns"  on  the  horizon 
to  the  north.  Our  tasajo  was  all  eaten,  and  we  began  to  hun- 
ger. The  nuts  did  not  satisfy  us.  The  game  was  in  plenty  at 
the  spring,  and  mottling  the  grassy  plain.  One  proposed  to  lie 
among  the  willows,  and  shoot  an  antelope  or  a  black-tailed 
deer — of  which  there  were  troops. 

"  We  dare  not,"  said  Seguin,  "  their  dogs  would  find  the 
blood.     It  would  betray  us." 

"  I  can  procure  one  without  letting  a  drop,"  rejoined  a 
Mexican  hunter. 

"How?"  inquired  several  in  a  breath. 

The  man  pointed  to  his  lasso. 

"  But  your  tracks — ^you  would  make  deep  footmarks  in  the 
struggle  ?  " 

"  We  can  blind  them,  Captain,"  rejoined  the  man. 

"  You  may  try,  then,"  assented  the  chief. 

The  Mexican  unfastened  the  lasso  from  his  saddle ;  and, 
taking  a  companion,  proceeded  to  the  spring.  They  crept  in 
among  the  willows,  and  lay  in  wait.  We  watched  them  from 
the  ride. 

They  had  not  remained  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
when  a  herd  of  antelopes  was  seen  approaching  from  the 
plain.  These  walked  directly  from  the  spring — one  following 
the  other,  in  Indian  file.  They  were  soon  close  in  to  the  wil- 
lows, where  the  hunters  had  concealed  themselves.  Here  they 
suddenly  halted,  throwing  up  their  heads,  and  snuffing  the  air. 
They  had  scented  danger,  but  it  was  too  late  for  the  foremost 
to  turn  and  lope  off. 

"  Yonder  gpes  the  lasso  ?"  cried  one. 


THE  WAK-TRAIL. 


29 


We  saw  the  noose  flying  in  the  air,  and  settling  over  his 
head.  The  herd  suddenly  wheeled ;  but  the  loop  was  around 
the  neck  of  the  leader ;  and  after  three  or  four  skips,  he  sprang 
up,  and  falling  upon  his  back,  lay  motionless  ! 

The  hunter  came  out  from  the  willows,  and,  taking  up  the 
animal — ^now  choked  dead — carried  him  towards  the  entrance 
of  the  defile.     His  companion  followed,  blinding  the  tracks  of 


both.     In  a  few  minutes  they  had  reached  us.     The  antelope 
was  skinned,  and  eaten  raw,  in  the  blood ! 

Our  horses  grew  thin  with  hunger  and  thirst.     We  feared 
to  go  too  often  to  the  water,  though  we  become  less  cautious 


30  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

as  the  hours  pass.  Two  more  antelopes  are  lassoed  by  the 
expert  hunter. 

The  night  of  the  fourth  day  is  a  clear  moonlight.  The 
Indians  often  march  by  moonlight — ^particularly  when  on  the 
war-trail.  We  keep  our  vidette  stationed  during  the  night,  as 
in  the  day.  On  this  night  we  looked  with  more  hopes  than 
usual.     It  is  such  a  lovely  night — a  full  moon,  clear  and  calm. 

We  are  not  disappointed.  Near  midnight  the  vidette 
awakes  us.  There  are  dark  forms  on  the  sky,  away  to  the 
north.  It  may  be  buffaloes,  but  we  see  that  they  are  ap- 
proaching. 

We  stand,  one  and  all,  straining  our  eyes  through  the 
white  air,  and  away  over  the  silvery  sward.  There  are 
glancing  objects — arms,  it  must  be.  "  Horses  !  horsemen ! 
They  are  Indians  !  " 

"  O  God !  comrades,  we  are  mad !  Our  horses — they  may 
neigh  I " 

We  bound  after  our  leader  down  the  hill,  over  the  rocks, 
and  through  the  trees.  We  run  for  the  thicket  %here  the  ani- 
mals are  tied.  We  may  be  too  late,  for  horses  can  hear  each 
other  for  miles  off ;  and  the  slightest  concussion  vibrates  afar 
through  the  elastic  atmosphere  of  these  high  plateaus.  We 
reach  the  caballada.  What  is  Seguin  doing?  He  has  torn 
the  blanket  from  under  his  saddle,  and  is  muffling  the  head  of 
his  horse ! 

We  follow  his  example — without  exchanging  a  word — for 
we  know  this  is  the  only  plan  to  pursue. 

In  a  few  nainutes  we  feel  secure  again,  and  return  to  our 
watch  station  on  the  height. 

We  had  shaved  our  time  closely  ;  for,  on  reaching  the  hill- 
top, we  could  hear  the  exclamations  of  Indians,  the  "  thump, 
thump  "  of  hoofs  on  the  hard  plain,  and  an  occasional  neigh  as 
their  horses  scented  the  water.  The  foremost  were  advancing 
to  the  spring  ^  and  we  could  see  the  long  line  of  mounted  men, 
stretching  in  their  deployment,  to  the  far  horizon  I 


THE  WAE-TKAIL.  31 

Closer  they  came,  and  we  could  distinguish  the  pennons 
and  glittering  points  of  their  spears.  We  could  see  their  half 
naked  bodies  gleaming  in  the  clear  moonlight ! 

In  a  short  time  the  foremost  of  them  had  ridden  up  to  the 
bushes — ^halting  as  they  came,  and  giving  their  animals  to 
drink.  Then  one  by  one  wheeled  out  of  the  water  ;  and,  trot- 
ting a  short  distance  over  the  prairie,  flung  themselves  to  the 
ground,  and  commenced  unharnessing  their  horses  ! 

It  was  evidently  their  intention  to  camp  for  the  night. 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  came  filing  forward — until  two 
thousand  warriors,  with  their  horses,  dotted  the  plain  be- 
low us ! 

We  stood  observing  their  movements.  We  had  no  fear  of 
being  seen  ourselves.  We  were  lying  with  our  bodies  behind 
the  rocks,  and  our  faces  partially  screened  by  the  foliage  of  the 
pinon  trees.  We  could  see  and  hear  with  distinctness  all  that 
was  passing — for  the  savages  were  not  over  three  hundred 
yards  from  our  position  ! 

They  proceed  to  picket  their  horses  in  a  wide  circle,  far  out 
on  the  plain.  There  the  grama  grass  is  long  and  more  lux- 
uriant than  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  spring.  They 
strip  the  animals,  and  bring  away  their  horse-furniture — con- 
sisting of  hair-bridles,  buffalo  robes,  and  skins  of  the  grisly 
bear.  Few  have  saddles.  Indians  do  not  generally  use  them 
on  a  war  expedition. 

Each  man  strikes  his  spear  into  the  ground,  and  rests 
against  it  his  shield,  bow,  and  quiver.  He  places  his  robe  or 
skin  beside  i't.     That  is  his  tent  and  bed. 

The  spears  are  soon  aligned  upon  the  prairie — ^forming  a 
front  of  several  hundred  yards — and  thus  they  have  pitched 
their  camp  with  a  quickness  and  regularity  far  outstripping 
the  chasseurs  of  Vincennes. 

They  are  encamped  in  two  parties.  There  are  two  bands — 
the  Apache  and  Navajo.  The  latter  is  much  the  smaller,  and 
rests  farther  off  from  our  position. 


32  NOETH  AND   SOUTH  AMEKICA. 

"We  hear  them  cutting  and  chopping  with  their  tomahawks 
among  the  thickets  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  "We  can  see 
them  carrying  fagots  out  upon  the  plain,  piling  them  together, 
and  setting  them  on  fire. 

Many  fires  are  soon  blazing  brightly.  The  savages  squat 
around  them,  cooking  their  suppers.  "We  can  see  the  paint 
glittering  on  their  faces  and  nated  breasts.  They  are  of  many 
hues.  Some  are  red,  as  though  they  were  smeared  with  blood. 
Some  appear  of  a  jetty  blackness.  Some  black  on  one  side 
of  the  face,  and  red  or  white  on  the  other.  Some  are  mottled, 
like  hounds  ;  and  some  striped  and  chequered.  Their  cheeks 
and  breasts  are  tattooed  with  the  forms  of  animals — ^wolves, 
panthers,  bears,  buffaloes-;-and  other  hideous  devices,  plainly 
discernible  under  the  blaze  of  the  pine-wood  fires.  Some  have 
a  red  hand  painted  on  their  bosoms  ;  and  not  a  few  exhibit  as 
their  device  the  death's  head  and  cross-bones  ! 

All  these  are  their  "  coats "  of  arms,  symbolical  of  the 
"  medicine  "  of  the  wearer ;  adopted,  no  doubt,  from  like  silly 
fancies  as  those  which  put  the  crest  upon  the  carriage,  on  the 
lacquey's  button,  or  brass  seal-stamp  of  the  merchant's  clerk. 

There  is  vanity  in  the  wilderness.  In  savage,  as  in  civil- 
ized life,  there  is  a  snobdom. 

"  What  do  we  see  ?  Bright  helmets — ^brazen  and  steel — 
with  nodding  plumes  of  the  ostrich!  These  upon  savages ! 
"Whence  came  these  ?  " 

"  From  the  cuirassiers  of  Chihuahua.  Poor  devils  !  They 
were  roughly  handled  upon  one  occasion  by  these  savage 
lancers." 

"We  see  the  red  meat  sputtering  over  the  fires  upon  the 
spits  of  willow  rods.  "We  see  the  Indians  fling  the  pinon  nuts 
into  the  cinders,  and  then  draw  them  forth  again,  parched  and 
smoking.  We  see  them  light  their  claystone  "pipes,  and  send 
forth  clouds  of  blue  vapor.  We  see  them  gesticulate  as  they 
relate  their  red  adventures  to  one  another.  We  hear  them 
shout,  and  chatter,  and  laugh  like  mountebanks  !  How  unlike 
the  forest  Indian ! 


THE   WAE-TEAIL.  33 

For  two  hours  we  watch  their  movements,  and  listen  to 
their  voices.  Then  the  horse-guard  is  detailed,  and  marches 
off  to  the  caballada  ;  and  the  Indians,  one  after  another,  spread 
their  skins,  roll  themselves  in  their  blankets,  and  sleep. 

The  fires  cease  to  blaze,  but  by  the  moonlight  we  can  dis- 
tinguish the  prostrate  bodies  of  the  savages.  White  objects 
are  moving  among  them.  They  are  the  dogs,  prowling  after 
the  debris  of  their  supper.  These  run  from  point  to  point, 
snarling  at  one  another,  and  barking  at  the  coyotes  that  sneak 
around  the  skirts  of  the  camp. 

Out  upon  the  prairie,  the  horses  are  still  awake  and  |)usy. 
We  can  hear  them  stamping  their  hoofs,  and  cropping  the  rich 
pasture.  Erect  forms  are  seen  standing  at  intervals  along  the 
line.     These  are  the  guards  of  the  cabdaUana. 

Our  attention  was  now  turned  to  our  own  situation.  Dan- 
gers and  difficulties  suddenly  presented  themselves  to  our 
minds. 

"  What  if  they  should  stay  here  to  hunt?  "  ^  • 

The  thought  seemed  to  oacur  to  all  of  us  at  the  same  in- 
stant ;  and  we  faced  each  other  with  looks  of  apprehension 
and  dismay. 

"  It  is  not  improbably,"  said  Seguin,  in  a  low  and  emphat- 
ic voice.  "  It  is  plain  they  have  no  supply  of  meat,  and  how 
are  they  to  pass  to  the  south  without  it  ?  They  must  hunt 
here,  or  elsewhere.     Why  not  here?" 

"  If  so,  we're  in  a  nice  trap  !  "  interrupted  a  hunter,  point- 
ing first  to  the  embouchure  of  the  defile,  and  then  to  the  moun- 
tain."* "  How  are  we  to  get  out?     I'd  like  to  know  that." 

Our  eyes  followed  the  direction  indicated  by  the  speaker. 
In  front  of  the  ravine,  in  which  we  were,  extended  the  line  of 
the  Indian  camp — not  a  hundred  yards  distant  from  the  rocks 
that  lay  around  its  entrance  !  There  was  an  Indian  sentinel 
still  nearer ;  but  it  would  be  impossible  to  pass  out— even  if 
he  were  asleep — ^without  encountering  the  dogs  that  prowled  in 
numbers  around  the  camp. 
2* 


34  KORTH  AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

Behind  us  the  mountain  rose  vertically  like  a  wall.  It  was 
plainly  impassable.     We  were  fairly  "  in  the  trap." 

"  Carrai ! "  exclaimed  one  of  the  men,  "  we  will  die  of 
hunger  and  thirst  if  they  stay  to  hunt !  " 

"  We  may  die  sooner,"  rejoined  another,  "  if  they  take  a 
notion  in  their  heads  to  wander  up  the  gully !  " 

This  was  not  improbable,  though  it  was  but  little  likely. 

The  ravine  was  a  sort  of  cul  de  sac,  that  entered  the  moun- 
tain in  a  slanting  direction,  and  ended  at  the  bottom  of  the  cliff. 
There  was  no  object  to  attract  our  enemies  into  it — unless  in- 
deed^they  might  come  up  in  search  of  pinon  nuts.  Some  of 
their  dogs,  too,  might  wander  up,  hunting  for  food,  or  attracted 
by  the  scent  of  our  horses.  These  were  probabilities  ;  and  we 
trembled  as  each  of  them  was  suggested. 

"  If  they  do  not  find  us,"  said  Seguin,  encouragingly,  "  we 
may  live  for  a  day  or  two  on  the  pinons.  When  these  fail  us, 
one  of  our  horses  must  be  killed.    How  much  water  have  we  ?  " 

"  Th^nk  our  luck.  Captain,  the  gourds  are  nearly  full." 

"  But  our  poor  animals  must  suffer." 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  thirst,"  said  El  Sol,  looking  down- 
ward, "  while  these  last ; "  and  he  struck  with  his  foot  a  large 
round  mass  that  grew  among  the  rocke.  It  was  the  spheroidal 
cactus.    "  See  !  "  continued  he,  "  there  are  hundreds  of  them  V* 

All  present  knew  the  meaning  of  this,  and  regarded  the 
cacti  with  a  murmur  of  satisfaction. 

'*  Comrades  ! "  said  Seguin,  "  it  is  of  no  use  to  weary  our- 
selves. Let  those  sleep  who  can.  One  can  keep  watch  yonder, 
while  another  stays  up  here.  Go,  Sanchez  !  "  and  the  "chief 
pointed  down  the  ravine  to  a  spot  that  commanded  a  view  of 
its  mouth. 

The  sentinel  walked  off  and  took  his  stand  in  silence.  The 
rest  of  us  descended,  and  after  looking  to  the  muffling  of  our 
horses,  returned  to  the  station  of  the  vidette  upon  the  hill. 
Here  we  rolled  ourselves  in  our  blankets ;  and  lying  down 
among  the  rocks,  slept  out  the  night. 


.    THE   WAB-TEATL. 


35 


We  are  awake  before  dawn,  and  peering  through  the 
leaves  Avith  feelings  of  keen  solicitude. 

There  is  no  movement  in  the  Indian  camp  !  It  is  a  bad  in- 
dication.    Had  they  intended  to  travel  on,  they  would  have 


36  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

been  stirring  before  this.  They  are  always  on  the  route 
before  daybreak.  These  signs  strengthen  our  feelings  of  ap- 
prehension. 

The  gray  light  begins  to  spread  over  the  prairie.  There  is 
a  white  band  along  the  eastern  sky.  There  are  noises  in  the 
camp.  There  are  voices.  Dark  forms  move  about  among 
the  spears.  Tall  savages  stride  over  the  plain.  The  robes  of 
skins  are  wrapped  around  their  shoulders  to  protect  them  from 
the  raw  air  of  the  morning.  They  carry  fagots.  They  are 
rekindling  the  fires ! 

Our  men  talk  in  whispers,  as  we  lie  straining  our  eyes  to 
catch  every  movement. 

"  It's  plain  they  intend  to  make  a  stay  of  it." 

"  Ay !  we're  in  for  it,  that's  sartin.  Wagh  !  I  wonder 
how  long  thar  agoin'  to  squat  hyar  anyhow." 

"  Three  days  at  least — may  be  four  or  five." 

"  Great  GoUys  !  we  will  be  froze  in  half  the  time." 

"  What  would  they  be  doin'  here  so  long?  I'll  warrant  ye 
they'll  clear  out  as  soon  as  they  can." 

"  So  they  will.     But  how  can  they  in  less  time? " 

"  They  can  get  all  the  meat  they  want  in  a  day.  See ! 
yonder's  buffalo  a  plenty ;  look  !  away — yonder  ! "  and  the 
speaker  points  to  several  black  objects  outlined  against  the 
brightening  sky.     It  is  a  gang  of  buffaloes. 

"  That's  true  enough.  In  half  a  day  I  warrant  they  can 
get  all  the  meat  they  want.  But -how  are  they  to  jerk  in  less 
than  three  ?     That's  what  I  want  to  know." 

"  Es  verdad ! "  says  one  of  the  Mexicans,  a  cibolero. 
Tres  dias,  al  menos  !  "  (it  is  true,  three  days  at  least !) 

"  Ay,  hombre ;  an'  with  a  smart  chance  o'  sunshine  at 
that,  I  guess." 

This  conversation  is  carried  on  by  tAvo  or  three  of  the  men 
m  a  low  tone,  but  loud  enough  for  the  rest  of  us  to  overhear  it. 

It  reveals  a  new  phase  of  our  dilemma  on  which  we  have 
not  before  reflected.     Should  the  Indians  stay  to  "jerk"  their 


THE  WAR-TEAIL.  37 

meat  we  will  be  in  extreme  danger  from  thirst,  as  well  as  of 
being  discovered  in  our  cache. 

We  know  that  the  process  of  jerking  buffalo  beef  takes 
three  days,  and  that  with  a  hot  sun,  as  the  hunter  has  inti- 
mated. This,  with  the  first  day  required  for  hunting,  will 
keep  us  four  days  in  the  ravine ! 

The  prospect  is  appalling.  We  feel  that  death  or  the 
extreme  torture  of  thirst  is  before  us.  We  have  no  fear  of 
hunger.  Our  horses  are  in  the  grove,  our  knives  in  our  belts. 
We  can  live  for  weeks  upon  them  ;  but  will  the  cacti  assuage 
the  thirst  of  men  and  horses  for  a  period  of  three  or,  four  days  ? 
This  is  a  question  no  one  can  answer.  It  has  often  relieved 
the  hunter  for  a  short  period,  enabling  him  to  crawl  on  to  the 
water ;  but  four  days  ? 

The  trail  will  soon  commence.  The  day  has  fairly  broken. 
The  Indians  spring  to  their  feet.  About  one-half  of  them  draw 
the  pickets  of  their  horses,  and  lead  them  to  the  water.  They 
adjust  their  bridles,  pluck  up  their  spears,  snatch  their  bows, 
shoulder  their  quivers,  and  leap  on  horseback. 

After  a  short  consultation  they  gallop  off  to  the  eastward. 
In  half  an  hour's  time  we  can  see  them  "running"  the  buffalo 
far  out  upon  the  prairie — piercing  them  with  their  arrows,  and 
impaling  them  on  their  long  lances  ! 

Those  who  have  remained  behind,  lead  their  horses  down 
to  the  spring-branch  and  back  again  to  the  grass.  Now  they 
chop  down  young  trees,  and  carry  fagots  to  the  fires  See ! 
they  are  driving  long  stakes  into  the  ground,  and  stretching 
ropes  from  one  to  the  other  !  For  what  purpose  ?  We  know 
too  well. 

"  Ha  !  look  yonder,"  mutters  one  of  the  hunters,  as  this  is 
first  noticed  ;  "  yonder  goes  the  jerking  lines  !  Now  we're 
caged  in  airnest,  I  reckon." 

"  For  todos  Santos,  es  verdad ! " 

"  Carrambo  !  carajo  !  chingaro  ! "  growls  the  cibolero,  who 
well  knows  the  meaning  of  those  stakes  and  lines. 


38 


NORTH  AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 


We  watch  with  a  fearful  interest  the  movements  of  the 
savages. 

We  have  now  no  longer  any  doubt  of  their  intention  to  re- 
main for  several  days. 

The  stakes  are  soon  erected,  running  for  a  hundred  yards 
or  more  along  the  front  of  the  encampment.  The  savages 
await  the  return  of  the  hunters.  Some  moimt  and  scour  oiF 
towards  the  scene  of  the  buffalo  battue,  still  going  on,  far  out 
upon  the  plain. 


■^r^^r^ 


INDIAN   WOMAN   LAMENTING   HEU   CHILD. 


We  peer  through  the  leaves  with  great  caution,  for  the  day 
is  bright,  and  the  eyes  of  our  enemies  are  quick,  and  scan 
every  object.  We  speak  only  in  whispers — though  our  voices 
could  not  be  heard  if  we  conversed  a  little  louder,  but  fear 
makes  us  fancy  that  they  might.  We  arc  all  concealed  except 
our  eyes.    These  glance  through  small  loopholes  in  the  foliage. 

The  Indian  hunters  have   been   gone   about  two  hours. 


THE  WAE-TEAIL.  39 

We  BOW  see  them  returning  over  the  prairie  in  straggling 
parties. 

They  ride  slowly  back.  Each  brings  his  load  before  him 
on  the  withers  of  his  horse.  They  had  large  masses  of  red 
flesh,  freshly  skinned  and  smoking.  Some  carry  the  sides  of 
the  quarters ;  others  the  hump-ribs,  the  tongue,  heart,  and 
liver — the  petites  morceaux — wrapped  up  in  the  skins  of  the 
slaughtered  animals. 

They  arrive  in  camp  and  fling  their  loads  to  the  ground. 

Now  begins  a  scene  of  noise  and  confusion.  The  savages 
run  to  and  fro,  whooping,  chattering,  laughing,  and  dancing. 
They  draw  their  long  scalping  knives  and  hew  off  broad  steaks. 
They  spit  them  over  the  blazing  fires.  They  cut  out  the  hump- 
ribs.  They  tear  off  the  white  fat  and  stuff  the  baudins.  They 
split  the  brown  liver,  eating  it  raw  !  They  break  their  shanks 
with  their  tomahawks,  and  delve  out  the  savory  marrow  ;  and 
through  all  these  operations  they  whoop,  and  chatter,  and 
laugh,  and  dance  over  the  ground  like  so  many  madmen  ! 

This  scene  lasts  for  more  than  an  hour. 

Fresh  parties  of  hunters  mount  and  ride  off.  Those  who 
remain  cut  the  meat  into  long  thin  strips,  and  hang  it  over  the 
lines — already  prepared  for  this  purpose.  It  is  thus  left  to  be 
baked  by  the  sun  into  tasajo. 

We  know  part  of  what  is  before  us.  It  is  a  fearful  pros- 
pect ;  but  men,  like  those  that  compose  the  band  of  Seguin,  do 
not  despond  while  the  shadow  of  a  hope  remains.  It  is  a  bar- 
ren spot  indeed  where  they  cannot  find  resources. 

"  We  needn't  holler  till  we're  hurt,"  says  one  of  the  hunters. 

"  If  yer  call  an  empty  belly  a  hurt,"  rejoins  another,  "  I've 
got  it  already.  I  kud  jest  eat  a  raw  jackass  'ithout  skinnin' 
hun." 

"Come,  fellers  !"  cried  a  third,  " let's  gramble  for  a wheen 
o'  these  peenyuns." 

Following  this  suggestion,  we  commence  searching  for  the 
nuts  of  the  pine.     We  find  to  our  dismay,  that  there  is  but  a 


40  KOETH   AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

limited  supply  of  this  precious  fruit — not  enough,  either  on  the 
trees  or  the  ground,  to  sustain  us  for  two  days  ! 

"  By  Gosh ! "  exclaims  one,  "  we'll  have  to  draw  for  our 
critters. 

"Well ;  an*  if  we  have  to— time  enough  yet  a  bit,  I  guess. 
We'U  bite  our  claws  awhile  first." 

The  water  is  distributed  in  a  small  cup.  There  is  stiU  a 
little  left  in  the  xuages  ;  but  our  poor  horses  suffer. 

"  Let  us  look  to  them,"  said  Seguin ;  and  drawing  his 
knife,  he  commences  skinning  one  of  the  cacti.  We  follow 
his  example. 

We  carefully  pare  off  the  volutes  and  spikelets.  A  cool 
gummy  liquid  exudes  from  the  opened  vessels.  We  break 
the  short  stems  :  and  lifting  the  green  globe-like  masses,  carry 
them  to  the  thicket,  and  place  them  before  our  animals.  These 
seize  the  succulent  plant  greedily,  crunch  them  between  their 
teeth,  and  swallow  both  sap  and  fibres.  It  is  food  and  drink 
to  them.     Thank  heaven  !  we  may  yet  save  them ! 

This  act  is  repeated  several  times,  until  they  have  had 
enough. 

We  kept  two  videttes  constantly  on  the  lookout— one  upon 
the  hill ;  the  other  commanding  the  defile.  The  rest  of  us  go 
through  the  ravine,  along  the  sides  of  the  ridge,  in  search  of 
the  cones  of  the  pinon. 

Thus  our  first  day  is  spent. 

The  Indian  hunters  keep  coming  into  their  camp  until  a 
late  hour,  bringing  with  them  their  burdens  of  buffalo  flesh. 
Fires  blaze  over  the  ground,  and  the  savages  sit  around  them, 
cooking  and  eating  all  the  night ! 

On  the  day  following,  they  do  not  rouse  themselves  until  a 
late  hour.  It  is  a  day  of  lassitude  and  idleness,  for  the  meat 
is  hanging  over  the  strings,  and  they  can  only  wait  upon  it. 
They  lounge  around  the  camp,  mending  their  bridles  and 
lassoes,  or  looking  to  their  weapons.  They  lead  their  horses 
to  the  water,  and  then  picket  them  on  the  fresh  ground.    They 


THE  WAK-TEAIL.  41 

cut  large  pieces  of  meat,  and  broil  them  over  the  fires.  Hun- 
dreds of  them  are  at  all  times  engaged  in  this  last  occupation. 
They  seem  to  eat  continually ! 

Their  dogs  are  busy  too,  growling  over  the  knife-stripped 
bones.  They  are  not  likely  to  leave  their  feast.  They  will 
not  stray  up  the  ravine  while  it  lasts.  In  this  thought  we  find 
consolation. 

The  sun  is  hot  all  the  second  day,  and  scorches  "us  in  the 
dry  defile.  "  It  adds  to  our  thirst — ^but  we  do  not  regret  this  as 
much,  knowing  it  will  hasten  the  departure  of  the  savages. 
Towards  evening,  the  tassajo  begins  to  look  brown  and  shriv- 
elled.    Another  such  day,  and  it  will  be  ready  for  packing ! 

Our  water  is  out ;  and  we  chew  the  succulent  slices  of  the 
cactus.     It  relieves  our  thirst  without  quenching  it ! 

Our  appetite  of  hunger  is  growing  stronger.  We  have 
eaten  all  the  pinons,  and  nothing  remains  but  to  slaughter  one 
of  our  horses. 

"  Let  us  hold  out  till  to-morrow,"  suggests  one.  "  Grive  the 
poor  brutes  a  chance.  Who  knows  but  that  they  may  flit  in 
the  morning  ?  " 

This  proposition  is  voted  in  the  affirmative.  No  hunter 
cares  to  risk  losing  his  horse — especially  when  out  on  the 
prairies. 

Gnawed  by  hunger,  we  lie  waiting  for  the  third  day. 

Morning  breaks  at  last,  and  we  crawl  forward  as  usual,  to 
watch  the  movements  of  the  camp.  And  the  savages  sleep 
late,  as  on  yesterday ;  but  they  arouse  themselves  at  length ; 
and,  after  watering  their  animals,  commenced  cooking.  We 
see  the  crimson  steaks  and  juicy  ribs,  smoking  over  the  fires  ; 
and  the  savory  odors  are  wafted  to  us  on  the  breeze.  Oi^r 
appetites  are  whetted  to  a  painful  keenness.  We  can  endure 
no  longer.     A  horse  must  die  ! 

Whose?     Mountain  law  will  soon  decide. 

Eleven  white  pebbles  and  a  black  one  are  thrown  into  the 
water  bucket,  and,  one  by  one,  we  are  blinded  and  led  forward. 


42  NOETH  AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

I  tremble  as  I  place  my  hand  in  the  vessel.  It  is  like 
throwing  the  die  for  my  own  life. 

"  Thank  Heaven  !     My  Moro  is  safe  ! " 

One  of  the  Mexicans  has  drawn  the  black. 

"  Thar's  luck  in  that,"  exclaims  a  hunter.  "  Good  fat 
mustang  better  than  poor  bull  any  day  !  " 

The  devoted  horse  is  in  fact  a  well-conditioned  animal; 
and  placing  our  videttes  again  we  proceeded  to  the  thicket  to 
slaughter  him. 

We  set  about  it  with  great  caution.  We  tie  him  to  a  tree 
and  hopple  his  fore  and  hind  feet,  lest  he  might  struggle.  We 
purpose  bleeding  him  to  death. 

The  cibolero  has  unsheathed  his  long  knife,  while  a  man 
stands  by,  holding  the  bucket  to  catch  the  precious  fluid — the 
blood !  Some  have  cups  in  their  hands,  ready  to  drink  it  as  it 
flows ! 

We  are  startled  by  an  unusual  sound.  We  look  tlirough 
the  leaves.  A  large  gray  animal  is  standing  by  the  edge  of 
the  thicket,  gazing  in  at  us.  It  is  wolfish-looking.  Is  it  a 
wolf  ?     No.     It  is  an  Indian  dog  ! 

The  knife  is  stayed.  Each  man  draws  hi^  own.  We  ap- 
proach the  animal  and  endeavor  to  coax  it  nearer.  But  no. 
It  suspects  our  intentions,  utters  a  low  growl,  and  runs  away 
dovm  the  defile. 

We  follow  it  with  our  eyes.  The  owner  of  the  doomed 
horse  is  the  vidette.  The  dog  must  pass  him  to  go  out ;  and 
he  stands  with  his  long  lance  ready  to  receive  it. 

The  animal  sees  himself  intercepted,  turns  and  runs  back 
and  again  turning  makes  a  desperate  rush  to  pass  the  vidette. 
4.S  he  nears  the  latter  he  utters  a  loud  howl.  The  next  mo- 
ment he  is  impaled  upon  the  lance  ! 

Several  of  us  rush  up  the  hill  to  ascertain  if  the  howl- 
ing has  attracted  the  attention  of  the  savages.  There  is 
no  unusual  movement  among  them.  They  have  not  heard 
it. 


THE   WAE-TKAIL.  43 

The  dog  is  divided  and  devoured — ^before  his  quivering 
flesh  has  time  to  get  cold !     The  horse  is  reprieved ! 

Again  we  feed  our  animals  on  the  cooling  cactus.  This 
occupies  us  for  some  time.  When  we  return  to  the  hill,  a 
glad  sight  is  before  us.  We  see  the  warriors  seated  around 
their  fires,  renewing  the  paint  upon  their  bodies  !  We  know 
the  meaning  of  this. 

The  tasajo  is  nearly  black.  Thanks  to  the  hot  sun,  it  will 
soon  be  ready  for  packing. 

Some  of  the  Indians  are  engaged  in  poisoning  the  points 
of  their  arrows !  All  these  "  signs  "  inspire  us  with  new 
courage.  They  will  soon  march  ;  if  not  to-night,  by  daybreak 
on  the  morrow. 

We  lie  congratulating  ourselves,  and  watching  every  move- 
ment of  their  camp.  Our  hopes  continue  rising  as  the  day 
falls. 

Ha !  there  is  an  unusual  stir.  Some  order  has  been  is- 
sued. 

"  Voila  ! "  ''  Mira !  Mira  !  "  "  See  ! "  '^  Look,  look  !  "  are 
the  half-whispered  ejaculations  that  break  from  the  hunters  as 
this  is  observed. 

"  By  the  livin'  catamount,  thar  a  goin'  to  mizzle  ! " 

We  see  the  savages  pull  down  the  tasajo,  and  tie  it  in 
bunches.  Then  every  man  runs  out  for  his  horse.  The 
pickets  are  drawn  ;  the  animals  are  led  in,  and  watered ;  they 
are  bridled ;  the  robes  are  thrown  over  them  and  girted.  The 
warriors  pluck  up  their  lances,  sling  their  quivers,  seize  their 
shields  and  bows,  and  leap  lightly  upon  horseback.  The 
next  moment  they  form,  with  the  rapidity  of  thought ;  and 
wheeling  in  their  tracks,  ride  off  in  single  file,  heading  to  the 
south. 

The  larger  band  has  passed.  The  smaller — the  Navajoes 
— following  the  same  trail.  No !  The  latter  has  suddenly 
filed  to  the  left ;  and  is  crossing  the  prairie  to  the  east — tow- 
ards the  spring  of  the  Ojo  de  Vaca ! 


u 


NOETH  AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 


Our  first  impulse  was  to  rush  down  the  ravine,  satisfy  our 
thirst  at  the  spring,  and  our  hunger  on  the  half-polished  bones 
that  were  strewed  over  the  prairie.  Prudence,  however,  re- 
strained us. 


^"VSJ; 


SUMMER  HUTS  OF  INDIANS. 


"  "Wait  till  they're  clar  gone,"  said  Garey.  "  The/U  be 
out  o'  sight  in  three  skips  o'  a  goat." 

"  Yes  !  stay  where  we  are  a  bit,"  added  another ;  "  some 
of  them  may  ride  back — something  may  be  forgotten." 

This  was  not  improbable  ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  promptings 
of  our  appetites,  we  resolved  to  remain  a  while  longer  in  the 
defile. 


THE  WAB-TRAIL.  45 

We  descended  straightway  into  the  thicket  to  make  pre- 
parations for  moving — ^to  saddle  our  horses,  and  take  off  their 
mufflings ;  which  by  this,  had  nearly  blinded  them.  Poor 
brutes  !  they  seemed  to  know  that  relief  was  at  hand. 

While  we  were  engaged  in  these  operations,  our  vidette 
was  kept  at  the  top  of  the  hill ;  to  watch  both  bands,  and 
warn  us  when  their  heads  should  sink  to  the  prairie  level. 

"  I  wonder  why  the  Navajoes  have  gone  by  the  Ojo  de 
Vaca,"  remarked  our  chief,  with  an  apparent  anxiety  in  his 
manner.     "  It  is  well  our  comrades  did  not  remain  there." 

"  They'll  be  tired  o'  waitin'  on  us  whar  they  are,"  rejoined 
Garey  ;  "  unless  black-tails  is  plentier  among  them  musquits 
th^n  I  think  for." 

"  Vaya,"  exclaimed  Sanchez  ;  '*  they  may  thank  the  San- 
tissima  they  were  not  in  our  company.  Tm  spent  to  a  skele- 
ton— Mir  a  !  'Garrai ! " 

Our  horses  were  at  length  bridled  and  saddled,  and  our 
lassos  coiled  up.  Still  the  vidette  had  not  warned  us  !  We 
grew  every  moment  more  impatient. 

"  Come  ! "  cried  one  ;  "  hang  it !  they're  far  enough  now. 
They're  not  agoin'  to  be  gapin'  back  all  the  way.  They're 
lookin'  ahead,  I'm  bound.  Golly !  Thar's  fine  shines  afore 
them." 

We  could  resist  no  longer.  We  called  out  to  the  vidette. 
He  could  just  see  the  heads  of  the  hindmost. 

"  That  will  do,"  cried  Seguin.    "  Come  !  take  your  horses  ! " 

The  men  obeyed  with  alacrity ;  and  we  all  moved  down 
the  ravine,  leading  our  animals. 

We  pressed  forward  to  the  opening.  A  young  man,  the 
Pueblo  servant  of  Seguin,  was  ahead  of  the  rest.  He  was 
impatient  to  reach  the  water.  He  had  gained  the  mouth  of 
the  defile,  when  we  saw  him  fall  back  with  frightened  looks, 
dragging  at  his  horse,  and  exclaiming : 

"  Mi  amo  !  mi  amo  !  todavia  son  ! "  (Master,  master,  they 
are  here  yet !) 


46  NOETH   AlO)   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

"  Who  ?  "  inquired  Seguin,  running  forward  in  haste. 

"  The  Indians,  master — the  Indians  ! " 

"You  are  mad.     Where  did  you  see  them?" 

"  In  the  camp,  master — ^look  yonder  ! " 

I  pressed  forward,  with  Seguin,  to  the  rocks  that  lay  along 
the  entrance  of  the  defile.  We  looked  cautiously  over.  A 
singular  sight  'met  our  eyes. 

The  camp  ground  was  lying  as  the  Indians  had  left  it.  The 
stakes  were  still  standing.  The  shaggy  hides  of  buffaloes,- 
and  piles  of  their  bones,  were  strewn  upon  the  plain.  Hun- 
dreds of  Coyotes  were  loping  back  and  forward,  snarling  at 
one  another,  or  pursuing  one  of  their  number  who  had  picked 
up  a  nicer  morsel  than  his  companions.  The  fires  were  ^ill 
smouldering;  and  the  wolves  galloped  through  the  ashes, 
raising  them  in  yellow  clouds. 

But  there  was  a  sight  stranger  than  all  this — a  startling 
sight  to  me.  Five  or  six  forms — almod  human — were  moving 
about  among  the  fires,  collecting  the  debris  of  the  skins  and 
bones,  and  quarrelling  with  the  wolves  that  barked  around 
them  in  troops.  Five  or  six  others — similar  forms — ^were 
seated  around  a  pile  of  burning  wood,  silently  gnawing  at 
half-roasted  ribs  !    "  Can  they — ^yes — they  are  human  beings.*' 

I  was,  for  a  moment,  awe-struck,  as  I  gazed  at  the  shriv- 
elled and  dwarfy  bodies :  the  long  ape-like  arms,  and  huge 
disproportioned  heads,  from  which  fell  their  hair  in  snaky 
tangles,  black  and  matted ! 

But  one  or  two  appeared  to  have  any  article  of  dress  ;  and 
that  was  a  ragged  breech-clout.  The  others  were  naked  as 
the  wild  beasts  around  them  ;  naked  from  head  to  foot ! 

It  was  a  horrid  sight  to  look  upon  these  fiend-like  dwarfs 
squatted  around  the  fires,  holding  up  half-naked  bones  in  their 
long  wrinkled  arms,  and  tearing  off  the  flesh  with  their  glist- 
ening teeth  !  It  was  a  horrid  sight  indeed ;  and  it  was  some 
moments  before  I  could  recover  sufficiently  from  my  amaze- 
ment to  inquire  who  or  what  they  are.      I  did  so  at  length. 


THE   WAB-TRAIL.  4:7 

"Los  Yamparicos,"  answered  the  cibolero. 

"Who?"  I  asked  again. 

"  Los  Indios  Yamparicos,  senor." 

"  The  Diggers,  the  Diggers,"  said  a  hunter,  thinking  that 
would  better  explain  the  strange  apparitions. 

"  Yes,  they  are  Digger  Indians,"  added  Seguin.  "  Come 
on — we  have  nothing  to  fear  from  them." 

"  But  we  have  somethin'  to  git  from  them,"  rejoined  one 
df  the  hunters,  with  a  significant  look.  "  Digger  plew  good 
as  any  other  ;  worth  jest  as  much  as  Pash  chief." 

"  There  must  no  one  fire,"  said  Seguin  in  a  firm  tone. 
"It  is  too  soon  yet ;  look  yonder ! "  and  he  pointed  over 
the  plain,  where  two  or  three  glancing  objects — ^the  helmets 
of  the  retreating  warriors— could  still  be  seen  above  the 
grass. 

"  How  are  we  goin'  to  get  them,  then.  Captain?"  inquired 
the  hunter.  "  They'U  beat  us  to  the  rocks — ih^j  kin  run  like 
scared  dogs." 

"  Better  let  them  go,  poor  devils  !"  said  Seguin,  seemingly 
unwilling  that  blood  sliould  be  spilled  so  wantonly. 

"No,  Captain,"  rejoined  the  same  speaker,  "we  won't  fire, 
but  we'll  git  them,  if  we  kin,  'ithout  it.  Boys,  foUow  me  down 
this  way ! " 

And  the  man  was  about  guiding  his  horse  'in  among  the 
loose  rock,  so  as  to  pass  unperceived  between  the  dwarfs  and 
the  mountain. 

But  the  brutal  fellow  was  frustrated  in  his  design,  for  at 
that  moment  El  Sol  and  his  sister  appeared  in  the  opening, 
and  their  brilliant  habiliments  caught  the  eyes  of  the  Diggers. 
Like  startled  deer,  they  sprang  to  their  feet  and  ran,  or 
rather  flew,  toward  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  hunters 
galloped  to  intercept  them ;  but  they  were  too  late.  Before 
they  could  come  up,  the  Diggers  had  dived  into  the  crevices 
of  the  rocks,  or  were  seen  climbing  like  chamois  along  the 
cliffs,  far  out  of  reach  ! 


48  NORTH  AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

One  of  the  hunters  only,  Sanchez,  succeeded  in  making  a 
capture.  His  victim  had  reached  a  high  ledge,  and  was 
scrambling  along  it,  when  the  lasso  of  the  bull-fighter  settled 
around  his  neck.  The  next  moment  he  was  plucked  out  into 
the  air,  and  fell  with  a  "  cranch"  upon  the  rocks. 

I  rode  forward  to  look  at  him.  He  was  dead.  He  had 
been  crushed  by  the  fall — in  fact,  mangled  to  a  shapeless  mass 
— and  exhibited  a  most  loathsome  and  hideous  sight ! 

The  unfeeling  hunter  recked  not  of  this.  With  a  coarse 
jest,  he  stooped  over  the  body,  and  severing  the  scalp,  stuck  it, 
reeking  and  bloody,  behind  the  waist  of  his  calzoneros ! 


The  following  additional  information  about  the  Digger 
Indians  is  taken  from  Bartlett's  "  New  Mexico,  &c."  : 

An  Indian  village  stood  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the 
house  where  i  lodged ;  and  at  my  request  Mr.  Knight  went 
out  and  brought  me  three  of  the  most  intelligent  among  them, 
from  whom  I  obtained  a  full  vocabulary  of  their  language. 
Like  many  other  tribes  of  the  country,  and  of  this  region  in 
particular,  they  appeared  to  have  no  name  for  themselves  as  a 
people.  By  the  white  people,  these  and  all  other  Indians  be- 
tween the  Sacramento  and  the  coast,  and  thence  through  the 
central  parts  of  the  State,  are  called  "  Diggers,"  or  "  Digger 
Indians,"  from  the  fact  that  they  live  chielfly  on  roots,  which 
they  collect  by  digging.  I  therefore  set  them  down  as  Indians 
of  Napa  Valley.  We  had  met  with  several  small  bands,  and 
passed  a  few  villages  on  our  way  up  ;  but  from  none  could  I 
learn  that  they  had  any  name  for  their  tribe.  This  fact  will 
account  for  the  great  diversity  in  the  names  of  the  California 
Indians  as  given  by  travellers.  In  examining  the  various 
books  on  this  country  and  articles  in  scientific  journals,  I  find 
tribes  mentioned  by  names  which  are  not  elsewhere  to  be 
found ;  and  in  my  own  inquii'ies  I  have  found  tribes  who  call- 
ed themselves  by  names  which  I  never  heard  of  before.     This 


THE  WAE-TEAIL.  49 

has  induced  me  to  believe  tliat  the  small  tribes  or  bands,  which 
abound  here  more  than  in  any  other  part  of  North  America, 
when  asked  to  what  tribe  they  belong,  give  the  name  of  their 
chief,  which  is  misunderstood  by  the  inquirer  to  be  that  of  the 
tribe  itself. 

Their  houses  are  circular,  and  from  twelve  to  thirty  feet 
in  diameter,  the  interior  usually  excavated  about  three  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Within  this  circle  posts  are 
planted,  forked  at  the  top,  upon  which  rest  poles  reaching 
from  one  to  the  other.  The  spaces  between  the  posts  are  filled 
in  with  sticks  or  tules,  against  which  the  earth  is  firmly  bank- 
ed up  outside.  The  roofs  are  dome- shaped,  and,  in  the 
smaller  houses,  supported  by  a  single  post  in  the  centre,  on  the 
forked  top  of  which  rest  two  main  rafters,  with  their  outer 
ends  planted  in  the  ground.  From  these  are  stretched  stout 
poles  about  a  foot  apart  and  thatched  with  sticks  and  tules,  or 
rushes  closely  interwoven,  and .  covered  with  a  solidly  pressed 
layer  of  earth  about  a  foot  thick,  making  a  roof  completely 
water  proof  in  the  heaviest  rains.  In  some  villages  the  houses 
have  but  one  aperture,  which  is  on  the  top  of  the  roof,  and 
serves  for  both  door  and  chimney.  This  is  entered  by  a  sort 
of  rude  ladder,  or  by  notches  cut  in  the  centre-post.  Others 
have  an  opening  at  the  side,  so  small  as  not  to  be  entered  ex- 
cept by  crawling  on  the  hands  and  knees.  Around  the  sides 
of  the  interior  are  wide  shelves,  formed  of  poles  and  rushes 
resting  on  forked  posts,  which  serve  for  beds. 

In  the  view  of  the  interior  of  one  of  their  dwellings  is  seen 
a  number  of  decoy  ducks,  which  they  use  to  good  advantage. 
Although  the  California  tribes  exhibit  much  skill  in  fishing 
and  in  trapping  game,  and  the  erection  of  their  dwellings, 
they  show  little  ingenuity  in  the  arts  of  design.  The  accom- 
panying rude  figure  in  wood,  of  a  woman  and  child,  which 
was  found  on  the  coast,  is  all  that  I  have  seen  of  their  carving. 

The  Indians  dwelling  near  the  great  rivers  of  California 
make  much  dependence  upon  the  salmon  and  stm*geon  which 


60 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMEKICA. 


they  can  take.  For  this  purpose  they  use  both  nets  and  spears. 
"When  the  river  is  wide,  the  nets  are  stretched  by  means  of 
booms  projecting  from  the  banks,  sometimes  a  hundred  feet 
into  the  stream.  These  booms  are  made  of  the  trunks  of  trees, 
fastened  together  at  the  ends,  and  kept  at  a  right  angle  with 
the  shore  by  stays  of  grapevine,  stretching  from  the  boom  to 
trees  or  stakes.  Beneath  the  outer  end  of  the  boom  is  a  float 
or  raft  of  tul6,  upon  which  is  stuck  a  branch  gaily  trimmed 
with  feathers  and  other  ornaments,  as  a  charm  to  secure  suc- 
cess.     Other  charms,  usually  made  of  bunches  of  feathers 


FIGURE   CUT  IN  WOOD  BY  INDIANS. 


raised  upon  poles,  are  displayed  along  the  bank,  where  are 
also  one  or  two  huts  for  the  party  in  attendance.  One  of  the 
party  holds  constantly  in  his  hand  a  line  attached  to  the  net, 
by  means  of  which  he  can  feel  when  a  large  fish  is  entangled, 
whereupon  the  net  is  hauled  in  and  the  prize  secured. 

When  a  sturgeon  is  caught,  the  spinal  marrow,  which  is 
considered  a  delicacy,  is  drawn  out  whole,  through  a  cut  made 
in  the  back,  and  devoured  raw,  with  a  i*apidity  quite  startling 
to  one  not  aware  of  the  strength  of  an  Indian's  stomach. 

The  spear  is  a  very  ingenious  and  effective  contrivance. 
When  thrown  into  a  fish,  the  head,  which  is  of  bone  with  a 


THE  WAE-TEAHi, 


61 


line  attached  toward  the  point,  detaches  itself  from  the  pole, 
which  serves  as  a  drag  to  weary  out  the  fish.  As  soon  as  the 
pole  can  be  seized,  nothing  remains  but  to  haul  the  prey  in. 

The  men  either  go  naked  or  wear  a  simple  breech-cloth. 
The  women  wear  a  cloth  or  strips  of  leather  around  their 
loins.  A  basket  pointed  at  the  lower  end,  is  in  universal  use 
among  them,  for  gathering  the  roots  and  seeds  which  form 


GROUP   OF   INDIANS. 


their  chief  subsistence.  This  is  carried  on  their  backs,  sup- 
ported by  a  band  across  the  forehead.  Their  arms  of  defence 
are  bows  and  arrows.  Some  tribes,  however,  make  use  of 
the  spear  or  lance.  In  one  respect  the  California  Indians  dif- 
fer from  all  others.  I  allude  to  their  beards,  which  are  gen- 
erally permitted  to  grow.  It  is  true  they  are  not  as  thick  and 
bushy  as  in  the  white  race,  but  short,  thin,  and  stiff.  I  have 
never  seen  them  extend  beyond  the  upper  lip  and  the  chin. 
The  hair  of  all  the  California  Indians  I  have  seen  is  cut  short. 


52  NOETH  AISTD  SOUTH   AMERICA. 


PEAIEIE   DOG  TOWN. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  animals  met  with  on  the  prai- 
ries and  high  table-lands,  is  the  "  prairie  dog,"  which  is  in 
fact  no  other  than  a  marmot,  having  no  character  in  common 
with  dogs.  Its  look  and  habits  are  totally  different.  The 
Canadian  trappers  used  to  call  it  "petit  chien;"  and  this, 
together  with  the  noise  it  makes,  which,  however,  is  more  of  a 
chirp  or  yelp  than  a  bark,  has  caused  it  to  receive  the  name 
of  "  prairie  dog." 

The  first  community  of  these  little  creatures  we  met  with 
was  in  Texas,  near  Brady's  Creek,  a  branch  of  the  Colorado 
of  the  east.  This  was  the  largest  we  ever  saw,  nor  have  I 
ever  heard  of  one  as  extensive.  For  three  days  we  travelled 
through  this  colony,  during  which  time  we  did  not  lose  sight 
of  them.  On  either  side,  as  far  as  we  could  see  over  the  plain, 
their  habitations  extended,  standing  out  in  bold  relief  in  the 
little  hillocks  they  had  raised  with  the  earth  brought  from  their 
subterranean  abodes.  Their  habitations  are  usually  about  ten 
yards  apart,  and  the  hillocks  contain  from  one  to  two  cartloads 
of  earth  each.  Some  have  one  entrance,  others  two,  which 
incline  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees.  To  what  depth 
they  extend  I  could  never  learn,  and  only  know  that  the  fre- 
quent attempts  to  drown  the  animals  out  by  pouring  large 
quantities  of  water  in  them,  have  rarely  succeeded.* 

A  well-beaten  track  extends  from  one  to  the  other  of  these 
hillocks,  showing  that  a  close  intimacy  exists  between  their 
occupants,  or  perhaps  family  connection.  We  supposed  this 
community  or  "  dog  town,"  as  it  is  called,  extended  at  least 
sixty  miles,  as  we  travelled  at  that  time  twenty  miles  a  day. 
As  to  its  width,  we  could  not  form  a  decided  opinion  ;  but  pre- 

*  Lieutenant  Abert  mentions  an  instance  where  several  were  obtained 
by  pouring  water  into  their  burrows.  They  afterwards  became  quite  tame. — 
Report,  p.  421. 


PEAIEIE  DOG-TOWK".  53 

suming  it  to  have  been  only  half  as  wide  as  it  was  long,  an 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  vast  number  of  animals  it  contains.* 

For  the  greater  part  of  this  distance  the  country  was  flat, 
and  covered  with  short  grass,  kept  so  probably  by  these  animals 
feeding  on  it.  A  few  scattered  mezquit  trees  also  grew  among 
them.  Rivers  did  not  limit  the  colony ;  for  they  were  found 
on  both  sides  of  several  streams.  In  several  places  I  noticed 
a  colony  on  the  summit  of  elevated  plateaus  or  hills,  where  the 
country  was  exceedingly  barren,  and  the  herbage  so  scant  as 
to  appear  entu-ely  inadequate  to  their  subsistence.  In  this  case 
it  was  evident  that  the  colony  was  not  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion, as  many  of  the  habitations  were  deserted. 

Of  the  habits  of  these  animals  I  can  say  little  from  obser- 
vation, although  I  saw  thousands  of  them.  I  would  gladly 
have  taken  a  day  to  conceal  myself  near  them  for  the  purpose 
of  watching  their  actions,  but  when  in  the  most  interesting 
places  we  were  moving  forward.  Major  Long,  in  his  Expe- 
dition to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  says  they  pass  the  winter  in  a 
lethargic  state.  Other  travellers  deny  this,  and  say  that  they 
come  from  their  holes  during  the  winter  whenever  the  weather 
is  mild.  I  saw  them  out  on  some  pretty  cold  days  in  Novem- 
ber. Even  in  the  plains  further  to  the  north,  where  snow  lies 
on  the  ground  for  weeks,  and  where  the  cold  is  severe,  they 
are  seen  out  during  the  winter. 

"Where  they  obtain  water  has  puzzled  naturalists.  Some 
travellers,  say  that  they  dig  down  until  they  find  it.  This 
cannot  be  the  case ;  for  I  have  seen  them  on  dry  elevated 
plains,  twenty  miles  from  water,  and  where  there  was  no  dew. 

*  If  we  suppose  that  this  community  extended  fifty  miles  in  one  direction 
and  but  ten  in  another,  we  have  a  superficies  of  five  hundred  square  miles ; 
and  allowing  them  to  be  thirty  feet  apart,  or  nine  hundred  square  feet  for 
each  (a  large  allowance),  it  would  give  about  thirty  thousand  habitations  to 
the  square  mile,  or  15,000,000  in  the  five  hundred  miles.  Estimating  but 
two  of  these  little  creatures,  which  is  the  smallest  supposable  number  to  a 
habitation,  we  have  a  total  of  thirty  millions  in  this  community.  I  think  it 
would  be  quite  safe  to  reckon  three  or  perhaps  four  animals  to  each  hillock. 


54 


NOETH  AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 


The  color  of  the  prairie  dog  is  light  brown.  The  lower 
part  of  its  body,  with  the  face  and  neck,  are  of  a  whitish  yel- 
low. Its  size  varies  from  that  of  a  gray  squirrel  to  that  of  a 
northern  woodchuck,  which  it  resembles  in  form  more  than  any 
other  animal.  The  body  of  a  fall-grown  specimen  is  about 
twelve  inches  in  length;  its  tail,  which  is  bushy,  between 
three  and  four.     It  stands  erect  like  a  squirrel,  with  its  tail  in 


TRAVELLERS   REPOSING. 


constaut  motion,  particularly  when  seated  upon  the  top  of  its 
hillock  chirping  to  its  companions.  As  we  drew  near  their 
villages,  an  alarm  seemed  to  be  given  by  one  placed  as  a 
sentinel  on  a  hillock  in  the  outskirts.  As  soon  as  the  signal 
was  made,  a  general  scampering  to  get  home  took  place  among 
them,  some  running  in  one  direction,  some  in  another.  When 
they  reached  their  habitations  they  would  stand  erect  at  their 


PRAIEIE    DOGhTOWlT.  55 

entrances,  with  their  heads  just  peeping  above,  and  keep  up 
an  incessant  chirping  and  frisking  of  their  tails  until  we  passed. 
As  we  drew  quite  near,  some  of  them  would  turn  a  somerset 
into  their  holes  and  disappear. 

We  found  it  difficult  to  secure  them ;  for  they  always  stood 
at  the  entrance  of  their  burrows,  so  that,  if  shot,  they  fell 
within.  I  do  not  think  that  out  of  twenty  shots  sometimes 
fired  at  these  creatures,  more  than  one  specimen  was  obtained. 

This  marmot  is  said  to  be  good  food ;  but  at  the  time  we 
killed  those  referred  to,  our  provisions  were  abundant,  and  no 
one  could  be  induced  to  try  them.  Subsequently,  when  we  got 
on  short  allowance,  I  do  not  think  any  one  would  have  hesi- 
tated to  eat  them. 

Eabbits  often  burrow  with  these  animals,  or,  what  is  more 
probable,  they  occupy  habitations  made  by  the  latter.  The 
habits  of  a  rabbit  lead  him  to  places  where  there  are  more 
shrubs,  and  not  a  bare  plain.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that 
the  rabbits  seen  among  the  prairie  dogs  are  merely  wanderers, 
who  have  strayed  away  from  their  proper  abodes,  and  finding 
comfortable  quarters  already  provided,  without  the  labor  of 
burrowing  themselves,  have  driven  away  the  weaker  animals 
and  taken  possession  of  their  dwellings. 

A  small  brown  owl  also  resides  with  the  prairie  dogs,  and 
is  almost  always  found  standing  on  their  hillocks,  acting  per- 
haps as  a  sentinel,  for  which  the  community  has  to  pay  dear. 
He  is  undoubtedly  an  interloper ;  as,  from  the  known  habits 
of  this  bird,  one  of  which  is  its  fondness  for  ground  mice, 
moles,  and  other  small  quadrupeds,  it  doubtless  seeks  the 
habitations  of  the  prairie  dogs  to  feed  on  their  young.  The 
parent  dogs  can  have  little  courage  to  permit  a  diminutive 
bird  like  this  to  prey  upon  their  offspring. 

But  the  most  serious  interloper  in  the  dog-towns  is  the 
rattlesnake.  I  had  often  heard  that  this  reptile  was  found 
among  them,  and  thought  it  must  be  accidental  until  I  wit- 
nessed how  frequently  it  occurs.     On  one  occasion  I  saw  sev- 


56  NOETH   AKD   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

eral  of  those  revolting  creatures  enter  a  single  hole  in  the  very 
midst  of  a  dog-town.  No  one  can  believe  that  any  friendship 
exists  between  animals  of  such  opposite  natures  ;  and  it  can- 
not be  doubted  that  the  rattlesnake  takes  up  his  abode  among 
them  for  sinister  purposes.  They  cannot  drive  him  away,  and 
are  therefore  compelled  to  give  him  quiet  possession  of  any 
habitation  he  may  enter,  and  allow  him  occasionally  to  feed 
upon  the  junior  members  of  the  fraternity. 

I  have  seen  the  Prairie  dogs  in  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Chi- 
huahua, Sonora,  and  California. 


THE  CALIFORNIA  GEYSERS. 

Pluton  river  or  creek  was  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  wide 
where  we  crossed  it,  about  half  up  the  horses*  middle,  and 
very  rapid.  On  either  side,  the  banks  were  rocky  and  steep, 
rendering  it  somewhat  difficult,  though  with  steady  animals 
not  a  dangerous  passage.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
opposite  bank  we  dismounted,  unsaddled  our  animals,  and 
staked  them  out  to  feast  themselves  on  the  rich  clover  which 
there  abounded,  and  then  completed  our  journey  on  foot.  A 
few  hundred  yards  brought  us  to  the  first  of  the  geysers,  or 
"  volcanoes,"  as  they  were  called  by  our  guide.  I  should  not 
forget  to  remark,  that  we  saw  in  several  ravines,  as  we  passed 
along,  traces  of  former  volcanic  action.  The  rocks  were  bare, 
and  in  a  decomposed  state,  showing  the  effects  of  heat  or  fire, 
although  no  heat  was  then  perceptible. 

At  the  first  pjjice  we  stopped,  there  was  a  show  of  about 
half  an  acre  of  decomposed  granite,  and  other  rocks,  from 
cavities  in  which  issued  fumes  of  sulphur  and  small  quantities 
of  steam.  At  these  places  were  beds  of  crystallized  sulphur  ; 
and  in  others,  sulphur  was  exposed  on  turning  up  with  a  stick 
the  exterior  crust.     There  was  every  appearance  around  us 


THE   CALEFOKNIA   GEYSERS.  57 

that  the  rocks  had  been  subjected  to  an  intense  heat,  which 
was  now  gradually  abating.  After  collecting  specimens  of  the 
sulphur  and  adjacent  rocks,  we  continued  further  up. 

Another  quarter  of  a  mile,  over  steep  hills  and  across  deep 
ravines,  brought  us  to  the  principal  "  geysers."  Here  was 
truly  a  grand  prospect,  and  difficult  to  describe  by  one  un- 
acquainted with  such  scenes  ;  for  to  speak  with  scientific  pre- 
cision of  such  a  remarkable  spot  as  this,  the  writer  should  be 
familiar  with  volcanic  regions  and  know  something  of  similar 
phenomena.  The  action  here  was  confined  within  a  narrow 
ravine,  in  the  mountain  side,  running  nearly  at  right  angles 
with  Pluton  River,  which  we  had  crossed.  The  banks  were 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
in  height,  breaking  in  from  the  mountain,  which  rose  up  from 
ten  to  fifteen  hundred  feet  above,  and  were  wholly  composed 
of  decomposed  rocks.  In  the  chasm  beneath  us,  columns  t)f 
steam  were  spouting  out  on  every  side  ;  while  deep  at  the  bot- 
tom ran  a  small  rivulet.  Vegetation  of  luxuriant  growth 
crowded  close  upon  the  crumbling  rocks,  consisting  of  various 
kinds  of  shrubbery,  pines,  oaks,  firs,  &c. 

We  clambered  down  to  the  spot  where  the  scoria  or  burnt 
rock  first  appeared,  and  seated  ourselves  under  the  shade  of  a 
pine  tree.  From  this  point  I  took  a  sketch  looking  down  the 
gorge.  On  each  side  of  where  we  sat,  some  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  below,  a  small  stream  came  tumbling  down,  concealed 
from  view  by  dense  foliage,  and  united  at  the  base  of  a  jutting 
mass  of  rocks,  as  seen  in  the  sketch.  I  thrust  a  staff,  which 
I  carried  with  me,  some  three  or  four  feet  into  the  crumbled 
gi'anite  beneath  ;  wliich  led  us  to  think  it  not  quite  safe  to  re- 
main where  we  were.  From  this  place,  we  got  do^vn  with 
some  difficulty  to  the  bottom  of  the  gorge,  where  the  main 
stream  ran.  The  water  was  here  cold  and  pure,  exhibiting  no 
unpleasant  taste.  A  few  yards  further  brought  us  into  the 
midst  of  the  puffing  geysers,  or  steam -jets  ;  for  I  knew  not  by 
what  other  name  to  call  them.  Fumes  of  sulphur  here  met 
3* 


58  KOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

our  nostrils  at  every  step,  while  the  rustling  steam,  as  it 
spouted  from  a  hundred  cavities,  completely  enveloped  us. 
The  latter  did  not  issue  in  one  continuous  column,  but  at 
short  intervals,  as  from  the  pipe  of  a  high-pressure  engine.  It 
was  with  some  difficulty  that  we  could  breathe  here  among  the 
fumes  of  sulphur  and  the  steam  ;  and  we  crouched  low  in  the 
bed  of  the  rocky  stream  to  avoid  them.  In  cavities  along  both 
banks,  and  near  the  running  brook,  was  boiling  water,  which 
rose  and  fell,  accompanied  by  a  loud  gurgling  noise,  resem- 
bling that  of  a  gigantic  steam  condenser.  In  one  of  these 
cavities,  stones  as  large  as  an  egg  were  in  a  state  of  commo- 
tion, presenting  a  curious  resemblance  to  a  pot  of  boiling 
potatoes.  I  held  my  hand  fifteen  inches  above  this  boiling 
pot,  at  which  distance  the  water  scalded  it.  From  this  cavity 
to  the  running  stream,  was  just  the  width  of  my  hand ;  though 
the  surface  of  the  boiling  water  in  the  cavity  was  about  a  foot 
above  the  running  water.  The  whole  of  this  violent  commo- 
tion was  accompanied  by  a  tremendous  noise  beneath  the 
earth's  surface,  quite  equal  to  and  resembling  that  made  by 
several  ocean  steamers,  letting  off  their  steam  through  their 
large  pipes,  loud,  deep,  and  harsh.  There  Avas  no  cessation  to 
this  awful  roar,  but  one  continued  noise,  as  though  a  vast 
workshop  beneath  was  in  full  operation. 

The  banks  of  the  gorge  were  now  too  steep  to  attempt  to 
asdend,  nor  would  it  have  been  safe  to  do  so  among  so  many 
jets  of  steam,  boiling  caldrons,  and  fumes  of  sulphur ;  so  we 
made  our  way  down  the  gorge  in  the  very  bed  of  the  stream, 
jumping  from  rock  to  rock,  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the 
other,  and  occasionally,  where  the  stream  took  a  leap,  letting 
ourselves  down  in  the  best  way  we  could.  Thus  we  worked 
our  way  along  for  about  an  hour,  filled  with  admiration  and 
wonder  at  the  mysterious  workings  of  nature  around  us.  The 
water,  as  we  advanced,  grew  warmer,  in  consequence  of  ac- 
cessions from  the  boiling  cavities  along  its  margin,  untD  the 
stream  became  quite  hot.     We  had  here  an  opportunity  to  se- 


THE   CALIFOENIA  GEYSEES.  59 

lect  a  bath  of  any  temperature,  from  one  of  icy  coldness  to 
that  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  degrees  ;  and  we  did  not  fail  to 
improve  it  in  some  of  the  deeper  basins  of  the  stream,  which 
seemed  prepared  by  nature  for  such  a  purpose. 

Having  thus  refreshed  ourselves,  w*e  clambered  up  the  op- 
posite bank  ;  and  as  we  had  now  passed  through  that  portion 
of  the  gorge  which  had  been  affected  by  the  heat,  we  lay  down 
awhile  under  the  shade  of  a  tree  on  the  bank  of  Pluton  River. 
Looking  up  here,  we  saw  before  us  at  a  distance  of  a  few  hun- 
dred yards,  another  of  these  volcanic  wonders.  This  was 
directly  on  the  northeast  bank  of  the  stream,  and  was  marked 
by  a  patch  of  decomposed  rock  of  a  whitish  cast,  covering 
about  an  acre.  Here  also  jets  of  steam  issued  forth,  but  not 
in  so  many  places,  nor  with  as  much  force  as  within  the  gorge 
just  described.  Dr.  Webb  and  Mr.  Thurber  examined  it,  and 
afterwards  visited  several  others,  further  up  the  river ;  but 
none  of  them  were  found  to  equal  the  first  in  grandeur. 

I  am  not  aware  that  this  interesting  spot  has  been  visited 
by  any  man  of  science,  except  Professor  Shepherd,  of  Western 
Reserve  College,  Ohio  ;  and  as  his  experience  and  profession 
better  fitted  him  for  investigations  in  such  phenomena  than 
mine,  I  quote  a  portion  of  his  remarks,  which  will  convey  a 
fuller  and  clearer  idea  than  my  feeble  description.  My  time 
while  there  was  short,  and  mostly  spent  in  making  sketches, 
and  in  collecting  a  few  specimens  of  sulphur  and  of  the  con- 
tiguous rocks  ;  nor  had  I  the  means  of  testing  or  examining 
the  waters. 

"  You  may  here  find  sulphur  water,"  says  Professor  Shep- 
herd,* "  precisely  similar  to  the  celebrated  White  Sulphur  of 
Green  Brier  County,  Virginia,  except  its  icy  coldness.  Also 
red,  blue,  and  even  black  sulphur  water,  both  cold  and  hot. 
Also  pure  limpid  hot  water,  without  any  sulphur  or  chlorine 
salts ;  calcareous  hot  waters,  magnesian,  chalybeate,  etc.,  in 
almost  endless  variety.     Every  natural  facility  is  afforded  for 

*  Silliman' 8  Journal  for  November,  1851,  p.  156. 


60  NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

either  vapor,  shower,  or  plunging  baths.  Where  the  heated 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas  is  evolved,  water  appears  to  be 
suddenly  formed,  beautiful  crystals  of  sulphur  deposited  (not 
sublimated  as  by  fire),  and  more  or  less  sulphuric  acid  gen- 
erated. In  some  places  the  acid  was  found  so  strong  as  to 
turn  black  kid  gloves  almost  immediately  to  a  deep  red.^  *  * 
From  numerous  experiments  made  here  and  in  the  mountains 
of  Virginia,  I  am  confident  that  all  sulphur  springs  possess  a 
high  temperature,  after  descending  below  the  cold  surface 
water.  Notwithstanding  the  rocks  are  so  hot  as  to  burn  your 
feet  through  the  soles  of  your  boots,  there  is  no  appearance  of 
a  volcano  in  this  extraordinary  spot.  There  is  no  appearance 
of  lava.  You  find  yourself  standing  not  in  a  solfatara,  nor  one 
of  the  salses  described  by  the  illustrious  Humboldt.  The 
rocks  around  you  are  rapidly  dissolving  under  the  powerful 
metamorphic  action  going  on.  Porphyry  and  jasper  •  are 
transformed  into  a  kind  of  potter's  clay.  Pseudo-trappean 
rocks  are  consumed  much  like  wood  in  a  slow  fire,  and  go  to 
form  sulphate  of  magnesia  and  other  products.  Granite  is 
rendered  so  soft  that  you  may  crush  it  between  your  fingers, 
and  cut  it  as  easily  as  unbaked  bread.  The  feldspar  appears 
to  be  converted  partly  into  alum.  In  the  mean  time  the  bould- 
ers and  angular  fragments  brought  down  the  ravines  and  river 
by  floods  are  being  cemented  into  a  firm  conglomerate  ;  so  that 
it  is  difficult  to  dislodge  even  a  small  pebble,  the  pebble  itself 
breaking  before  the  conglomerate  yields. 

"  The  thermal  action  on  wood  in  this  place  is  also  highly 
interesting.  In  one  mound  I  discovered  the  stump  of  a  large 
tree  silicified ;  in  another,  a  log  changed  to  lignite  or  brown 
coal.  Other  fragments  appeared  midway  between  petrification 
and  carbonization.  In  this  connection,  finding  some  drops  of 
a  very  dense  fluid,  and  also  highly  refractive,  I  was  led  to  be- 
lieve that  pure  carbon  might,  under  such  circumstances,  crys- 
talize  and  form  the  diamond.  Unfortunately  for  me,  however, 
I  lost  the  precious  drop  in  attempting  to  secure  it. 


61 

"  A  green  tree  cut  down  and  obliquely  inserted  in  one  of 
the  conical  mounds,  was  so  changed  in  thirty-six  hours  that 
its  species  would  not  have  been  recognized  except  from  the 
portion  projecting  outside,  around  which  beautiful  crystals  of 
sulphur  had  already  formed." 

According  to  the  statement  of  MacDonald,  our  guide,  who 
had  made  several  visits  to  the  geysers,  their  activity  has 
greatly  diminished,  or  we  saw  them  under  less  favorable 
auspices  than  usual.  He  said  that  when  last  here  the  water 
spouted  up  from  five  to  ten  feet  in  height ;  that  the  jets  of 
steam  were  much  larger  and  more  steady  ;  and  furthermore, 
that  a  day  often  exhibited  a  material  difference.  That  the 
action  has  lessened,  and  nearly  ceased,  is  certain  as  respects 
the  first  one  we  visited  ;  for  it  now  appears  like  an  expiring  fire. 

When  Professor  Shepherd  visited  this  place,  a  year  before 
ns,  he  says  that  within  the  space  of  half  a  mile  square  he 
"  discovered  from  one  to  two  hundred  openings,  through  which 
steam  issued  with  violence,  sending  up  columns  of  steam  to  the 
height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet,"  *  *  * 
and  again,  "throwing  out  jets  or  volumes  of  hot  scalding 
water  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  endangering  the  lives  of 
those  who  stood  near.  In  some  places  the  steam  and  water 
came  in  contact,  so  as  to  produce  a  constant  jet  d'eau^  or 
spouting  fountain,  with  a  dense  cloud  above  the  spray,  afford- 
ing vivid  prismatic  hues  in  the  sunshine."  With  such  jets  of 
water  and  steam  as  these,  the  grandeur  of  this  extraordinary 
spot  would  be  greatly  enlianced. 


ADVENTURE  AMONG  THE  HUDSON'S  BAY  FUR  HUNTERS. 

Our  brigade  of  four  boats  lay  moored  on  the  banks  of  the 
great  Saskatchewan ;  which  river,  taking  its  rise  amid  the 
rugged  steeps  of  the  Kocky  Mountains,  flows  through  the 
great  prairies  and  woodlands  of  the  interior  of  Rupert's  Land, 
and  discharges  into  Lake  Winipeg. 


62 


NORTH  AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 


The  men  were  ashore  at  breakfast.  On  a  low  gravelly 
poijit  that  jutted  out  into  the  stream,  smoked  three  large  fires, 
over  which  stood  three  rudely  constructed  tripods,  from  which 
depended  three  enormous  tin  kettles.  Robbiboo  was  the  de- 
lectable substance  contained  in  these  kettles.  Pemmican  is  a 
compound  of  dried  Buffalo  meat,  melted  fat  and  hair — the 
latter  being  an  accidental  ingredient.  Mix  pemmican  with 
flour  and  water,  boil  and  stir  till  it  thickens,  and  the  result 
will  be  "robbiboo." 

Around  these  kettles  stood,  and  sat,  and  reclined,  and 
smoked,  about  thirty  of  the  wildest  and  heartiest  fellows  that 
ever  trod  the  wilderness.  Most  of  them  were  French  Canadi- 
ans ;    many  were  half-breeds ;    some  were   Orkneymen ;  and 


one  or  two  were  the  copper-colored  natives  of  the  soil.  But 
Canadians,  Scotch,  and  savages  alike,  were  servants  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Fur  Company ;  they  were  all  burned  to  the 
same  degree  of  brownness  by  the  summer  sun ;  they  all 
laughed  and  talked,  and  ate  robbiboo  more  or  less — generally 
more ;  and  they  were  all  clad  in  the  picturesque  habiliments 
of  the  northwest  voyageur.  A  loose-fitting  capote,  with  a 
hood  hanging  down  the  back  ;  a  broad  scarlet  or  parti-colored 
worsted  sash  round  the  waist ;  a  pair  of  cloth  leggings,  some- 


HUNTEES.  63 

times  blue,  sometimes  scarlet,  occasionally  ornamented  with 
bright  silk  or  bead-work,  and  gartered  at  the  knees  ;  a  pair  of 
chamois  leather-like  moccasins  made  of  deer  skins ;  a  round 
bonnet,  or  a  red  night-cap,  or  a  nondescript  hat,  or  nothing ; 
such  is  the  outward  man  of  the  voyageur. 

"  Ho  !  ho  !  "  shouted  the  gruff  voice  of  the  guide,  as  the 
men,  having  emptied  the  kettles,  were  hastily  filling  and  light- 
ing their  pipes — "  embark,  my  lads,  embark." 

In  five  minutes  the  boats  were  afloat,  and  the  crews  were 
about  to  shove  off,  when  the  cry  was  raised,  "  Mr.  Berry  !  hold 
on :  Where's  Mr.  Berry  ?  " 

"  Poor  Berry  !  he  was  always  late,  always  missing,  always 
in  the  wrong  place  at  the  right  time  and  in  the  right  place  at 
the  wrong  time.  His  companions — of  whom  there  were  two 
in  charge  of  the  boats  along  with  himself — called  him  an  "  old 
wife,"  but  qualified  the  title  with  the  remark  that  he  was  a 
"  good  soul,"  nevertheless.  And  so  he  was — a  beardless 
youth  of  twenty-two  summers,  with  a  strong  tendency  to  sci- 
entific pursuits,  but  wofuUy  incompetent  to  use  his  muscles 
aright.  He  was  forever  falling  into  the  i^ater,  constantly 
cutting  his  fingers  with  his  knife,  and  frequently  breaking  the 
trigger  of  his  fowling-piece  in  his  attempt  to  discharge  it  at 
half-cock.  Yet  he  was  incomparably  superior  to  his  more 
"knowing"  comrades  in  all  the  higher  qualities  of  manhood. 
At  the  moment  his  name  was  called,  he  sprang  from  the 
bushes,  laden  with  botannical  specimens,  and  crying,  "  Stop  ! 
stop  !  I'm  coming,"  he  rushed  down  to  the  boat  of  which  he 
had  the  special  charge,  and  leaped  in.  Five  minutes  more, 
and  the  brigade  was  sweeping  down  the  Saskatchewan,  while 
the  men  bent  hastily  to  their  oars,  and  filled  the  shrubbery  on 
the  river's  bank  and  the  wide  prairies  beyond  with  the  ringing 
tones  of  one  of  their  characteristic  and  beautiful  canoe  sonsrs. 

The  sun  was  flooding  the  horizon  with  gold,  as  it  sank  to 
rest.  The  chorus  of  the  boatmen  had  ceased,  and  the  only 
Bound  that  broke  the  stillness  of  the  quiet  evening  was  the 


64:  NORTH   AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

slow  and  regular  stroke  of  the  heavy  oars,  which  the  men 
plied  unceasingly.  On  turning  one  of  the  bends  of  the  river, 
which  disclosed  a  somewhat  extended  vista  ahead,  several 
black  objects  were  observed  near  the  water's  edge. 

"  Hist ! "  exclaimed  the  foremost  guide,  "  they  are  buf- 
faloes." 

"  A  terre,  a,  terre  !  "  cried  the  men,  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 

A  powerful  sweep  of  the  steering  oar  sent  the  boat  into  a 
little  bay,  where  it  was  quickly  joined  by  the  others. 

"  Now,  then,  let  the  crack  shots  be  off  into  the  bush,  cried 
the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the  brigade.  "  Away  with  you, 
Gaspard,  Antoine,  Jacques.  Mind  you  don't  waste  powder 
and  shot  on  old  bulls.  Hallo  !  Mr.  Berry,  not  so  fast ;  let  the 
hunters  to  the  front." 

"  Ah !  Misser  Berry  him  berry  bad  shot,"  remarked  a 
middle-aged  Indian,  regarding  the  youth  somewhat  contempt- 
uously. Berry  armed  for  the  chase  with  frantic  haste,  dashing 
about  and  tumbling  over  every  thing  in  search  of  his  powder- 
horn  and  shot-pouch,  which  were  always  mislaid,  and  moving 
the  muzzle  of  his  gun  hither  and  thither  in  such  a  way  as  to 
place  the  lives  of  his  men  in  constant  and  deadly  peril.  He 
started  at  last,  with  the  speed  of  a  hunted  deer,  and  made  a 
bold  sweep  into  the  woods  in  order  to  head  the  buffaloes. 
Here  he  squatted  down  behind  a  bush  to  await  their  coming. 

A  short  time  sufficed  to  bring  the  stealthy  hunters  within 
range.  Three  shots  were  fired,  and  two  animals  fell  to  the 
ground ;  while  a  third  staggered  with  difficulty  after  its  com- 
panions, as  they  bounded  through  the  woods  toward  the 
prairies,  headed  by  the  patriarchal  bull  of  the  herd.  This 
majestic  animal  had  a  magnificently  shaggy  mane  and  a  pair 
of  wild  glittering  eyes,  that  would  have  struck  terror  into  the 
stoutest  heart ;  but  Berry  was  short-sighted ;  moreover  he  had 
concealed  himself  behind  a  shrub,  through  which,  as  he  after- 
wards remarked,  he  "  could  see  nicely."  No  doubt  of  it ;  but 
the  bush  was  such  a  scraggy  and  ill-conditioned  shrub  that  the 


65 

buffalo  bull  could  see  through  it  just  as  nicely,  and  charged, 
with  a  hideous  bdlow,  at  the  unfortunate  youth  as  it  came  up 
the  hill.  Berry  prepared  to  receive  him.  For  once  he  remem- 
bered to  cock  his  piece  ;  for  once  his  aim  was  true,  and  he  hit 
the  huge  animal  on  the  forehead  at  a  distance  of  ten  yards  ; 
but  he  might  as  well  have  fired  against  the  side  of  a  house  ; 
the  thick  skull,  covered  with  its  dense  matting  of  coarse  hair, 
was  thoroughly  ball-proof.  The  bull  still  came  on.  Just  at 
this  moment  another  shot  was  fired,  and  the  animal  hurled 
forward  in  a  complete  somersault ;  the  bush  was  crushed  to 
atoms,  and  Berry  was  knocked  head-over-heels  to  the  ground, 
where  he  lay  extended  at  full  length  beside  his  slaugh- 
tered foe. 

"  Ah  !  pauvre  enfant,"  cried  Antoine,  running  up  and  lift- 
ing Berry's  head  from  the  ground.  "  Is  you  hurt  ver'  moch? 
Dat  bull  him  break  de  ribs  I  'fraid." 

Antoine's  fears  were  groundless.  In  half  an  hour  the 
youth  was  as  well  as  ever,  though  somewhat  shaken  by  the 
fall.  The  choice  morsels  of  the  dead  buffaloes  were  cut  off  by 
the  men  with  an  adroit  celerity  that  was  quite  marvellous,  and 
in  a  very  short  time  the  boats  were  again  rapidly  descending 
the  stream. 

The  bivouac  that  night  resounded  with  more  vigorous 
mirth  than  usual.  The  camp  fires  blazed  with  unwonted 
power  and  brilliancy.  The  cook's  office — ^no  sinecure  at  any 
time — became  a  post  of  absolute  slavery ;  for  there  was  a 
glorious  feast  held  beneath  the  spreading  trees  of  the  forest, 
and  the  bill  of  fare  was  '"•  buffalo-steaks  and  marrowbones." 
But  if  the  feast  was  noisy,  the  hours  that  succeeded  it  were 
steeped  in  profound  silence.  Each  man,  having  smoked  his 
pipe,  selected  for  his  couch  the  softest  spot  of  ground  he  could 
find,  and,  wrapping  himself  in  his  blanket,  laid  him  down  to 
rest.  The  deep  breathing  of  untroubled  slumber  was  the  only 
sound  that  floated  from  the  land  and  mingled  with  the  rippling 
of  the  river  ;  and  not  a  hand  or  foot  was  moved  untU,  at  day- 


66  NOETH   AUB   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

break,  the  loud  halloo  of  the  guide  aroused  the  sleepers  to  their 
daily  toil.  * 

A  week  or  two  passed,  and  we  had  left  the  lands  of  the 
buffalo  far  behind  us,  and  were  sailing  over  the  broad  bosom 
of  Lake  Winipeg.  It  was  calm  and  polished  as  a  sheet  of 
glass  when  we  entered  it,  but  it  did  not  remain  long  thus.  A 
breeze  arose,  the  sails  were  hoisted,  and  away  we  went  out 
into  the  wide  ocean  of  fresh  water.  Lake  Winipeg  is  a  ver- 
itable ocean.  Its  waves  rival  those  of  the  salt  sea  in  magni- 
tude, and  they  break  upon  a  shore  composed  in  many  places 
of  sand  and  pebbles.  If  we  sail  straight  out  upon  it,  the  shore 
behind  us  sinks  into  the  horizon ;  but  no  opposite  shore  rises 
to  view,  and  the  unbroken  circle  of  sky  and  water  is  presented 
to  our  gaze,  as  it  appears  on  the  great  ocean  itself. 

The  wind  rose  almost  to  a  gale  as  we  careered  over  the 
billows,  and  the  men  had  to  keep  up  incessant  bailing.  It  was 
almost  too  much  for  us ;  but  no  one  murmured,  for,  had  the 
wind  been  ahead,  we  might  have  been  obliged  to  put  ashore 
and  remain  there  inactive  for  many  days.  As  it  was,  we  made 
a  rapid  run  across  the  lake  and  entered  the  river,  or  rather  the 
system  of  lakes  and  rivers,  which  convey  its  waters  to  the 
ocean.     Hudson's  Bay  was  our  goal. 

Many  days  passed,  and  we  were  still  pushing  onward 
toward  the  sea-coast ;  but  not  so  rapidly  now.  The  character 
of  the  navigation  had  changed  very  considerably,  and  our 
progress  was  much  slower.  Now  we  were  sweeping  over  a 
small  lake,  anon  dashing  down  the  course  of  a  turbulent 
stream,  and  at  other  times  dragging  boats  and  cargoes  over 
the  land. 

One  afternoon  we  came  to  a  part  of  the  river  which  pre- 
sented a  very  terrible  appearance.  As  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  the  entire  stream  was  a  boiling  turmoil  of  rocks  and 
rapids,  down  which  a  boat  could  have  gone  with  as  much 
safety  as  it  could  have  leaped  over  the  falls  of  Niagara.  Our 
advance  was  most  effectually  stopped,  as  far  as  appearance 


67 

went.  But  nothing  checks  the  onward  progress  of  a  north- 
west voyageur  except  the  want  of  food.  The  boats  ran  suc- 
cessively into  a  small  bay,  the  men  leaped  out,  the  bales  of 
fiirs  were  tossed  upon  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  the  boats 
hauled  up.  Then  every  man  produced  a  long  leathern  strap, 
vrith  which  he  fastened  a  bale  weighing  upwards  of  90  lbs.  to 
his  back ;  above  this  he  placed  a  bale  of  similar  weight,  and 
trotted  off  into  the  woods  as  lightly  as  if  he  had  only  been 
laden  with  two  pillows.  The  second  b^le  is  placed  above  the 
first  by  a  sleight-of-hand  movement  which  is  difficult  to  acquire. 
Poor  Berry  well-nigh  broke  his  neck  several  times  in  attempt- 
ing this  feat,  and  eventually  gave  it  up  in  despair. 

In  an  hour  the  packs  were  carried  over  the  "  portage," 
and  deposited  beside  the  still  water  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids. 
Then  the  men  returned  for  the  boats.  One  was  taken  in  hand 
at  a  time.  The  united  crews  seized  the  heavy  craft  with  their 
strong  hands,  and  shoved  against  it  with  their  lusty  shoulders  ; 
a  merry  song  was  struck  up,  and  thus  the  boat  was  dragged 
through  the  forest  for  nearly  a  mile.  The  others  quickly  fol- 
lowed, and  before  evening  aU  was  carried  over,  and  we  were 
again  rowing  down  stream. 

Not  long  after  this  we  came  to  a  rapid,  in  the  midst  of 
which  was  a  slight  waterfall.  The  water  was  deep  here,  and 
the  rocks  not  numerous ;  and  it  was  the  custom  to  run  the 
boats  down  the  rapids  and  over  the  fall,  in  order  to  save  the 
labor  of  a  portage.  Three  of  the  boats  ran  down  in  grand 
style,  and  reached  the  foot  in  safety.  Berry  and  I  were  in  the 
last  boat.  The  steersman  stood  up  in  the  stern  with  his  hands 
resting  on  the  long  heavy  sweep,  while  his  gaze  was  directed 
anxiously  toward  the  boiling  flood  into  which  we  were  just  en- 
tering. The  bowman,  an  immensely  powerful  man,  stood  up 
in  front,  with  a  long  strong  pole  grasped  in  both  hands,  ready 
to  fend  off  from  the  sunken  rocks.  The  men  sat  in  their 
places,  with  their  oars  ready  for  action. 

"  NoAv,  boys,  look  out,"  cried  the  guide,  as  we  plunged 


68  NORTH   Aim   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

into  the  first  billow  of  the  rapids.  The  boat  flew  like  an 
arrow  straight  toward  a  rock,  which  was  crested  with  white 
as  the  water  burst  against  its  ragged  front.  To  all  appear- 
ance our  doom  was  sealed.  The  bowman  regarded  it  with  a 
complacent  smile,  and  stood  quite  motionless,  merely  casting  a 
glance  backward.  The  steersman  acknowledged  the  glance 
with  a  nod ;  one  long  stroke  of  the  great  oar — ^the  boat  turned 
sharply  aside,  and  swept  past  in  safety.  There  was  no  danger 
in  such  a  big  blusteri^  rock  as  that  1 


THE  HAPPY  FAMILY. 

"  Prenez  garde  ! "  cried  the  bowman,  in  a  warning  tone, 
pointing  to  a  spot  where  lay  a  sunken  rock.  The  steersman's 
quick  hand  turned  the  boat  aside  ;  but  the  bowman  had  to  lend 
his  aid,  and  the  strong  pole  bent  like  a  willow  as  he  forced  the 
boat's  head  away  from  the  hidden  danger.  And  now  the  fall 
appeared.  It  was  not  high,  perhaps  four  feet,  but  there  was 
a  mighty  gush  of  water  there,  and  it  was  a  bold  leap  for  a 
heavy  boat. 

"  Prenez  garde,  mes  garyons — ^hurrah ! — ^lads,  give  way — 
well  done  ! "  The  boat  plunged  almost  bows  under,  but  she 
rose  again  like  a  duck  on  the  foaming  water.     The  worst  of  it 


69 

was  passed  now ;  but  there  was  still  a  ticklish  bit  below — a 
bend  in  the  river,  where  the  sunken  rocks  were  numerous,  and 
the  surface  of  the  water  so  white  with  foam  that  it  was  difficult 
to  detect  the  channel.  The  bowman's  duty  now  became  more 
arduous.  With  knitted  brows  and  compressed  lips  he  stood, 
every  nerve  and  muscle  strung  for  instant  action.  The  steers- 
man watched  his  movements  with  intense  earnestness,  in  order 
to  second  them  promptly.  Ever  and  anon  the  stout  pole  was 
plunged  into  the  flood,  first  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other ; 
the  two  guides  acted  as  if  they  had  been  one  man,  and  the 
obedient  craft  sprang  from  surge  to  surge  in  safety.  Suddenly 
the  bowman  uttered  a  loud  shout,  as  the  pole  jammed  between 
two  rocks,  and  was  wrenched  from  his  grasp. 

"  Another  !  another  !  vite  !  vite  ! " 

One  of  the  crew  thrust  a  fresh  pole  into  his  hand.  Plung- 
ing it  into  the  water,  he  exerted  his  giant  strength  with  such 
violence  as  nearly  to  upset  the  boat,  but  it  was  too  late.  The 
planks  crashed  like  an  egg-shell  as  the  boat  dashed  upon  a 
rock,  and  the  water  began  to  rush  in,  while  the  stern  was 
swept  round,  and  the  blade  of  the  steering  oar  was  smashed  to 
atoms.  Almost  before  we  had  time  to  think  we  were  swept 
down,  stem  foremost,  and  floated  safely  into  an  eddy  at  the 
foot  of  the  rapids.  A-  few  strokes  of  the  oars  brought  us  to 
the  land ;  but,  short  although  the  interval  was  between  our 
striking  the  rock  and  running  ashore,  it  was  sufficient  to  half- 
fill  the  boat  with  water. 

The  danger  was  barely  past,  and  the  intense  feeling  of  it 
was  still  strong  upon  my  mind,  yet  these  light-hearted  voy- 
ageurs  were  jesting  and  laughing  loudly  as  they  tossed  the 
packs  of  furs  out  of  the  water-logged  boat ;  so  little  did  they 
realize  the  imminence  of  the  peril  from  which  they  had  been 
delivered — the  shortness  of  the  step  that  had  separated  them 
from  the  inunediate  presence  of  God. 

The  remainder  of  that  day  was  spent  in  drying  the  furs 
that  had  been  wetted,  and  in  repairing  the   damaged  boat. 


YO  NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

Afterwards  we  continued  our  voyage,  which,  without  further 
accident,  terminated  at  length  on  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay, 


MUSTANGS  ON  THE  "RAMPAGE." 

A  PORTION  of  our  journey  was  over  the  prairie,  where 
there  was  no  trace  of  a  road.  To-day  continued  the  same ; 
yet  the  man  who  pretended  to  guide  us  seemed  familiarly  ac- 
quainted with  it.  A  few  hours  after  leaving,  the  prairie  near 
the  horizon  seemed  to  be  moving,  with  long  undulations,  like 
the  waves  of  the  ocean.  Unable  to  account  for  this  singular 
appearance,  I  looked  with  my  telescope,  when,  to  my  surprise, 
I  discovered  the  whole  prairie  toward  the  horizon  alive  with 
mustangs.  Soon  after  they  could  be  seen  coming  toward  the 
train. 

Major  Emory  at  this  time  was  in  advance  of  me  about 
half  a  mile  with  his  portion  of  the  wagons.  We  saw  the  long 
line  of  mustangs  approach  him,  and  soon  after  pass  before,  the 
whole  herd  following  after,  and  extending  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  across  the  prairie.  The  mules  became  restive, 
and  we  could  see  the  teamsters  hurrying  forward  the  wagons 
for  protection  behind  each  other.  On  went  the  great  stream, 
and  the  next  moment  one  of  the  mule  teams  in  advance  sprang 
from  the  train  and  dashed  off  at  full  speed  after  and  among 
the  wild  horses.  The  teamster  in  vain  tried  to  restrain  them. 
It  was  all  to  no  purpose.  Away  they  went,  John  Gilpin  like, 
the  wagon  with  six  mules,  followed  by  all  the  loose  animals 
that  were  driven  with  the  train,  which  had  also  partaken  of 
the  stampede.  The  herdsmen,  in  order  to  check  the  runaways, 
left  the  train  and  went  in  pursuit,  making  altogether  the  most 
exciting  spectacle  we  had  yet  witnessed.  The  chase  continued 
for  a  mile  ;  for  the  mules  in  the  wagon  had  become  perfectly 
frantic  with  fear,  sm-rounded  as  they  were  by  equally  fright- 


MUSTANGS  ON  THE   "  RAMPAGE."  Yl 

ened  mustangs,  and  all  bounded  over  the  prairie  at  their  utmost 
speed.  Seeing  the  danger,  our  men  put  on  the  lash,  and  we 
hurried  forward  to  render  such  aid  as  lay  in  our  power.  The 
men  of  the  other  party  fired  at  the  herd,  which  had  the  effect 
of  breaking  the  line,  and  turning  it  in  another  direction. 

The  frightened  herd  made  directly  for  us,  in  the  same  long 
line,  the  termination  of  which  we  could  not  see,  as  it  lost  itself 
far  in  the  distance.  I  now  became  alarmed,  fearing  a  general 
stampede  among  our  mules ;  for  nothing  can  restrain  these 
timid  creatures  when  frightened.  If  they  cannot  take  their 
wagon  with  them,  they  become  so  frantic  that  they  will  tear 
themselves  from  their  harness  and  flee  away.  Our  first  pre- 
caution was  to  close  up  the  wagons,  so  that  only  those  in  the 
first  one  would  see  the  mustangs.  The  mules  of  the  second 
were  placed  alongside  of  the  foremost  wagon,  the  next  by  the 
side  of  the  second,  and  so  on  to  the  last,  each  wagon  thus  pro- 
tecting the  team  that  followed  it.  We  now  locked  the  wheels 
of  all,  and  men  stood  by  the  leaders  to  restrain  and  quiet  them. 
As  I  had  no  inclination  to  be  carried  off  against  my  will  among 
a  herd  of  frantic  wild  horses  after  the  fashion  of  Mazeppa,  I 
dismounted  and  hitched  my  mule  to  a  wagon,  and  with  several 
others  ran  with  my  firearms  to  meet  the  advancing  steeds, 
which  were  now  nearly  upon  us,  led  off  by  a  fearless  staUion. 
"We  discharged  our  arms  at  them  as  they  approached,  and  for- 
tunately with  good  effect.  The  leader  was  turned,  and  the 
avalanche  of  wild  animals  swept  by  us  like  a  tornado,  much  to 
our  relief.  We  held  in  for  a  few  minutes  until  the  herd  had 
passed,  when  we  unlocked  our  wheels  and  hastened  forward  to 
the  first  of  the  train,  which  had  halted. 

By  the  time  we  reached  it,  the  runaway  wagon  and  mules, 
with  those  who  had  been  in  pursuit,  were  just  coming  up  after 
a  most  exciting  chase.  Fortunately  no  one  was  injured,  and 
our  animals  were  all  captured  and  brought  back,  except  one, 
and  that  one  of  the  most  valuable  horses  belonging  to  the 
party.     This  animal  was   ridden  by  the  wagon-master,  and 


72 


NOETH  AlsHD    SOUTH  AMEEIOA. 


when  in  full  pursuit  of  the  runaways,  he  stepped  into  one  of 
the  burrowing  places  which  abound  on  the  prairies,  fell,  and 
threw  his  rider  over  his  head.  Thus  freed  from  restraint,  he 
joined  his  wild  brethren  and  disappeared  on  the  prairie,  with 
his  saddle,  bridle,  and  trappings. 

As  we  continued  our  journey  other  herds  of  mustangs  were 
seen  coming  from  the  east,  but  none  approached  us.  Large 
numbers  of  deer  and  antelope  were  also  perceived  as  we  jogged 
along.  In  the  afternoon  we  crossed  a  deep  ravine,  the  dry  bed 
of  the  Escondida,  which  bore  the  traces  of  recent  water ;  and 
just  beyond  this  the  great  prairie  was  on  fire. 


PRAIRIE   ON  FIRE. 


We  had  for  hours  noticed  the  huge  volumes  of  smoke  as 
they  ascended  from  the  plain,  and  attributed  the  flight  of  ani- 
mals toward  us,  which  we  had  seen  during  the  day,  to  this  fire. 
It  stretched  for  miles  in  both  directions,  and  was  sweeping  di- 
rectly toward  us.     Whenever  it  reached  a  patch  of  high  grass, 


A  FIGHT   WITH   THE   APACHES.  73 

volumes  of  dense  smoke  rose  up,  while  the  vivid  flames  leaped 
with  greater  rapidity  over  the  plain.  We  rode  up  and  down 
for  some  distance,  but  could  find  no  opening  through.  At 
length  a  place  was  seen  where  the  fire  raged  with  less  fury. 
Here  the  horsemen  led  the  way ;  whereupon  the  teamsters  put 
the  whips  to  their  animals,  and  uttering  a  loud  whoop  dashed 
through  the  flames. 


A  FIGHT  WITH  THE  APACHES. 

About  a  mile  from  camp  (says  Mr.  Bartlett)  we  passed  a 
small  arroyo,  or  ravine,  pretty  well  filled  with  bushes.  This 
arroyo  was  no  sooner  passed  by  the  foremost  wagon  in  the 
train,  than  we  were  startled  by  the  most  terrific  yells  and 
shouting ;  and  on  turning  our  heads,  to  our  horror  we  saw  a 
band  of  Indians  issuing  from  the  arroyo  we  had  passed,  and 
charging  upon  the  train.  We  immediately  turned  about,  put 
spurs  to  our  animals,  and  rode  back  with  all  speed  toward 
the  train.  The  savages,  who  numbered  between  thirty  and 
forty  (as  stated  to  me  by  those  in  the  rear) ,  were  rushing  at 
full  speed  with  their  lances  poised,  screaming  and  yelling,  en- 
deavoring to  break  the  line  and  stampede  the  mules,  as  they 
crossed  from  one  side  to  the  other.  Others  followed,  discharg- 
ing their  arrows  at  the  teamsters  as  they  passed ;  but  the 
teamsters  remained  each  by  his  team,  keeping  the  mules  in 
their  places,  and  closing  up  the  line.  At  the  same  time  they 
kept  the  enemy  at  bay  by  levelling  their  pistols  at  them. 
These  men  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  keep  their  seats  in  the 
saddle  and  to  hold  their  fire,  which  the  savages  wanted  to 
draw.  Had  they  fired  and  missed  their  mark  (and  the  chances 
were  ten  to  one  against  their  hitting) ,  they  would  have  been 
pierced  by  a  lance  or  an  arrow  the  next  moment. 

The  men  who  were  riding  by  the  side  of  the  wagons  sprang 
4 


Y4:  NORTH  *iND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

to  the  aid  of  the  teamsters,  and  held  the  leading  mules,  which 
kept  them  in  their  places. 

Failing  in  their  attempt  to  frighten  the  mules  and  throw 
the  train  into  disorder,  the  Indians  dashed  on  toward  the  rear, 
and  made  a  furious  charge  on  the  party  there  who  were  driving 
the  spare  mules  and  horses.  Two  Mexicans,  herdsmen,  were 
unhorsed  by  the  charge  ;  and  a  third,  being  wounded,  fell  from 
his  animal.  He,  however,  held  on  to  his  bridle,  when  an 
Indian  rushed  at  him  and  pierced  him  to  the  heart  with  his 
lance.  The  momentary  pause  of  this  man  made  him  a  good 
mark  for  the  rifle,  and  sealed  his  fate.  Several  were  dis- 
charged at  once,  whicli  brought  the  fellow  to  the  ground.  His 
companions  seeing  him  fall,  ran  to  his  rescue,  raised  him  up, 
and  threw  his  bleeding  body  across  a  mule  ridden  by  another 
Indian,  when  they  rode  off  at  full  speed. 

The  firing  now  became  general ;  but  the  constant  motion 
of  the  enemy  enabled  them  to  escape.  The  five  Mexican 
soldiers,  who  were  on  foot,  stood  up  to  the  fight  manfully,  and 
were  in  the  thickest  of  it.  They  did  much,  too,  toward  saving 
the  last  wagon,  which  had  got  separated,  and  was  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  in  the  rear.  The  driver  of  this  team, 
when  he  saw  the  Indians  between  him  and  the  rest  of  the 
train,  jumped  from  his  mule,  and,  bringing  the  leaders  around, 
fastened  their  heads  to  the  wagon.  He  then  took  out  his  rifle 
and  stood  on  the  defensive,  levelling  it  at  each  Indian  as  he 
approached,  and  thus  keeping  them  at  bay. 

The  Indians  liext  made  for  Mr.  Thurber,  who  was  still 
further  in  the  rear,  and  at  the  moment  engaged  in  putting  some 
plants  into  his  portfolio.  They  dashed  at  him  with  their  lances, 
and  he  had  barely  time  to  seize  his  revolver,  with  which  he 
kept  them  off.  Our  men  were  now  close  at  the  enemy's  heels  ; 
so  that,  finding  themselves  in  rather  a  tight  place,  they  made 
for  the  adjoining  hills,  pursued  by  six  or  eight  of  our  party. 
The  fleetness  of  their  horses  and  their  knowledge  of  the 
ground,  gave  them  the  advantage  ;  so  that  after  a  pursuit  of  a 


A   FIGHT   WITH   THE  APACHES.  ^5 

mile  or  two,  we  gave  up  the  chase,  fearing  the  train  might 
encounter  a  larger  body  of  Indians  in  ambush,  for  they  scat- 
tered in  all  directions,  and  concealed  themselves  among  the 
rocks  or  ravines  of  the  hills. 

The  spare  animals  were  all  stampeded  and  lost.  They 
became  frightened  at  the  first  charge,  and,  not  being  fastened, 
were  rushing  at  the  top  of  their  speed  over  the  plain,  driven  by 
a  portion  of  the  enemy,  before  we  who  were  in  advance  coiild 
reach  them.  We  lost  ten  mules  and  a  valuable  horse — and 
secured  the  horse,  saddle,  and  arms  of  the  Indian  that  was 
shot.  Two  of  the  wagons  were  pierced  with  bullets,  and 
several  arrows  were  found  sticking  in  the  wagons  near  the 
teamsters. 

We  dug  a  grave  by  the  side  of  the  road,  and  deposited  in 
it  the  body  of  the  unfortunate  Mexican  who  was  killed.  This 
being  done,  we  hastened  away  from  the  sad  scene,  the  first 
and  only  occurrence  of  the  kind  that  had  befallen  the  Commis- 
sion since  it  entered  the  field,  now  more  than  two  years. 

We  had  proceeded  but  a  few  hundred  yards  when  we 
noticed  several  heaps  of  stones,  some  of  them  surmounted  by 
small  crosses,  to  mark  the  spots  where  murders  had  been  com- 
mitted but  a  short  time  before,  as  appeared  by  their  freshness. 
Fragments  of  clothing  also  lay  around,  showing  that  a  severe 
contest  had  taken  place.  Fearing  that  the  Indians  might  rally 
in  larger  mmibers  and  renew  the  attack,  two  soldiers  were 
sent  ahead,  while  the  others  kept  at  a  distance  on  the  right 
and  left,  to  give  us  early  notice  of  the  approach  of  danger. 

Eight  or  ten  miles  brought  us  to  a  point  opposite  the  Ojo 
de  Callego  (Spring  of  the  Mountain  Pass),  a  ravine  in  the 
mountain  on  our  left,  where  there  was  a  fine  spring  in  a  thick 
grove  of  cotton-woods.  It  seemed  a  likely  place  for  Indians  to 
conceal  themselves  in,  and,  with  an  enemy  at  our  heels,  we  had 
no  desire  to  stop  there.  We  therefore  filled  our  water  kegs  from 
a  pool  near  at  hand,  without  entering  the  ravine.  A  couple 
of  miles  further  on  we  passed  the  Ojo  de  Calhcito,  marked  by 


16 


NOSTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 


a  few  cotton-woods  on  the  mountain  side.  Soon  after  this,  we 
met  a  body  of  about  twenty  Mexican  soldiers  in  charge  of  a 
lieutenant  from  Chihuahua,  bound  for  El  Paso.  They  were 
the  men  who  had  escorted  the  merchant  train  from  El  Paso, 
to  which  I  have  before  alluded.  From  them  we  learned  that 
Armijo's  train  of  empty  wagons,  which  left  that  place  the 
day  before  us  by  way  of  the  Sand-hills,  had  been  attacked  by 
the  Apaches  near  the  place  of  our  encounter  with  them,  and 
had  lost  six  men  and  thirty  mules. 

The  Apaches  must  rank  below  the  Indian  tribes  east  of  the 


INDIAN  AMUSEMENTS. 


Rocky  Mountains,  dwelling  on  the  tributaries  of  the  Mississip- 
pi and  Missouri  Rivers.      They  are  without  that  dignified 


A  FIGHT  WITH   THE  APACHES.  77 

bearing,  and  those  noble  traits  of  character,  which  character- 
ize the  latter ;  and  as  they  perform  no  labor,  not  even  that 
of  hunting,  their  physical  developments  are  greatly  infe- 
rior. Mangus  Colorado,  and  a  few  other  prominent  chiefs, 
who  live  pretty  well,  and  have  the  lion's  share  of  their  plunder, 
are  rather  good  looking  ;  and  a  finer  set  of  children  than  those 
of  Mangus,  of  Dalgadito,  and  Ponce,  are  not  often  seen.  But 
beyond  these  few  exceptions  the  Apaches  are  an  ill-formed, 
emaciated,  and  miserable-looking  race.  As  those  we  saw  did 
not  cultivate  the  earth,  they  depend  upon  VN^hat  they  can  steal 
from  the  Mexicans  and  Americans  on  the  frontier  for  a  sub- 
sistence. The  supply  thus  obtained  consists  almost  exclusively 
of  mules ;  and  when  this  fails  they  resort  to  the  bulb  of  the 
^  maguay.  In  fact,  this  may  be  said  to  constitute  at  all  times 
the  food  of  the  majority ;  for  the  chiefs  take  good  care  that 
they  at  least  shall  have  mule  meat  when  there  is  any. 

In  saying  that  certain  individuals  were  fine  looking,  I  speak 
of  mere  physical  development.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  saw  a 
mild  or  amiable  face  among  them  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  had 
all  a  treacherous,  fiendish  look,  which  well  expressed  their 
true  character.  They  are  in  general  poorly  clothed,  a  majority 
wearing  deer  skins  tied  about  them,  without  any  attempt  to 
fashion  them  into  garments.  K  a  man  could  get  a  shirt,  he 
seemed  quite  content  without  any  other  garment.  Many,  and 
I  should  think  most  of  them,  wore  long  deer-skin  boots,  with 
stout  soles,  turned  up  at  the  toes,  the  legs  being  either  fastened 
around  the  loins  or  turned  over  at  the  knees.  These  were 
well  made,  and  exhibited  more  taste  and  care  than  any  other 
garment  about  them.  It  is  not,  however,  on  account  of  their 
beauty  that  they  wear  these  fine  long  boots,  but  from  necessity  ; 
as  they  require  them  to  protect  their  legs  when  riding  among 
the  thorny  chapporal  of  the  plains,  as  well  as  from  the  venom- 
ous reptiles  which  abound  there.  The  Apaches  have  their 
dandies  as  well  as  their  civilized  brethren ;  in  fact  I  have 
found  among  every  tribe  of  Indians  men  of  this  class,  whose 


78 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 


minds  seem  to  dwell  more  on  their  personal  appearance  than 
on  any  thing  else.  They  are  fond  of  remaining  at  home,  asso- 
ciate more  than  others  with  the  women,  and  never  accompany 
war  parties.  They  are  looked  upon  as  drones  by  the  braves. 
Those  whom  we  saw  among  the  Apaches  were  generally 
dressed  in  some  tawdry  manner,  and  their  faces  covered  with 
paint.  Some,  with  a  truer  sense  of  savage  beauty,  and  who 
have  fine  manly  forms,  wore  nothing  but  a  breech  cloth  and 


APACHE   DANDIES. 

boots.  These,  mounted  on  fine  animals,  and  armed  with  a 
lance  or  bow,  sometimes  made  their  appearance  among  the 
ragged  and  motley  groups  which  visited  our  camps.  A  helmet- 
shaped  cap  of  deer  skin,  fitting  close  to  the  head,  and  covered 
on  the  top  with  a  bunch  of  feathers,  is  worn  by  many ;  while 
others  have  straw  hats,  taken  from  the  heads  of  Mexicans 
whom  they  have  killed.  Another  and  very  picturesque  orna- 
ment which  the  hatless  and  capless  have  recourse  to,  is  a 
wreath  of  grass  or  leaves,  twined  around  their  heads  and  pro- 
jecting well  over  their  eyes,  to  protect  them  from  the  sun. 
The  Mexican  serajoe  is  also  w^orn  by  those  who  have  become 
the  possessors  of  such  a  useful  article  of  dress  by  murdering 


THE   PIMO   AND   COCO-MAEICOPA  INDIANS.  79 

its  former  owner.  The  women  wear  jackets  or  tunics  of  deer 
skin,  more  or  less  ornamented,  a  profusion  of  beads,  when  they 
can  get  them,  and  deer-skin  leggins.  Most  of  them  wear  un- 
bleached cotton  or  calico  shirts,  w^hich  they  obtain  of  the  Indian 
traders  or  at  the  settlements. 


THE  PIMO  AND  COCO-MARICOPA  INDIANS. 

The  habits  of  these  tribes  of  California  Indians  differ 
somewhat  from  those  of  other  North  American  savages. 

The  people  restrict  themselves  to  a  single  wife.  Their 
ideas  of  a  Supreme  Being,  in  whose  existence  they  believe, 
are  vague.  After  death,  they  believe  that  their  souls  go  to 
the  banks  of  the  Colorado,  tlieir  ancient  dwelling-place,  and 
there  take  refuge  in  the  great  sand  hills,  where  they  are  met- 
amorphosed into  various  animals  and  birds.  Their  heads, 
hands,  feet,  etc.,  each  become  owls,  bats,  wolves,  and  other 
animals.  They  believe,  too,  that  the  souls  of  thei^  enemies, 
the  Yumas,  also  find  a  place  there  ;  and  that  the  wars  which 
have  so  long  existed  between  them  on  earth,  will  be  continued 
there,  after  death. 

When  a  man  desires  to  marry,  and  has  made  choice  of  a 
girl  for  his  wife,  he  first  endeavors  to  win  over  her  parents  by 
making  them  presents.  The  fair  one's  attention  is  sought  by 
another  process.  To  do  this,  he  takes  his  flute,  an  instrument 
of  cane  with  four  holes,  and,  seating  himself  beneath  a  bush 
near  her  dwelling,  keeps  up  a  plaintive  noise  for  hours  to- 
gether. This  music  is  continued  day  after  day ;  and  if  no 
notice  is  at  length  taken  of  him  by  the  girl,  he  may  "  hang  up 
his  flute,"  as  it  is  tantamount  to  a  rejection.  If  the  proposal 
is  agreeable,  the  fair  one  makes  it  known  to  the  suitor,  when 
the  conquest  is  considered  complete.  No  girl  is  forced  to 
marry  against  her  will,  however  eligible  her  parents  may  con- 


80  NOKTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

sider  the  match.  Whenever  a  girl  marries,  it  is  expected  that 
her  husband  will  present  her  parents  with  as  much  as  his 
means  wiU  permit,  to  compensate  them  for  the  loss  of  their 
daughter,  whose  services  are  to  them  a  matter  of  consequence. 


INDIAN  NOSE   FLUTE   OF  DEEr's   HOOFS. 

Among  both  the  Coco-M-aricopas  and  the  Pimos,  the 
women  do  the  principal  part  of  the  work.  Besides  taking 
care  of  the  children  and  attending  to  the  household  matters, 
they  grind  the  corn,  make  baskets,  gather  mezquit  beans,  help 
till  the  ground,  and  sometimes  spin  and  weave. 

The  men  plant  and  gather  the  crops,  and  take  care  of  the 
animals.  This  I  believe  is  all  they  do  ;  and  as  the  perform- 
ance of  these  duties  is  not  a  very  onerous  task,  they  are  idle 
the  greater  portion  of  the  time.  Their  implements  of  hus- 
bandry are  steel  hoes  and  axes,  which  they  obtain  from  the 
Mexicans,  harrows,  and  occasionally  a  long-handled  spade. 
Grinding  corn  on  the  metates,  or  stones,  is  a  work  of  great 
labor,  and  comes  hard  on  the  poor  women,  who  are  obliged  to 
get  upon  their  knees,  and  exert  the  whole  strength  of  their 
arms  and  bodies  in  the  task.     I  have  seen  women  thus  em- 


THE  PIIVIO   AND  COCO-MAEICOPA  INDIAT^TS.  81 

plojed  when  the  thermometer  stood  at  110°,  while  their  lords 
laj  stretched  out  at  length  on  their  backs  looking  on. 

Water  is  invariably  brought  by  the  women  in  large  earthen 
vessels  upon  their  heads,  resting  upon  a  small  cushion.  Some 
of  these  vessels  hold  six  gallons.  This  mode  of  carrying 
burdens,  by  which  the  lS)dy  is  kept  in  a  perfectly  erect  po- 
sition, tends  greatly  to  develop  the  chest  and  add  to  the 
general  beauty  of  the  figure.  Hence  we  see  among  the 
Indians,  as  well  as  among  the  lower  class  of  Mexicans,  forms 
which  Walker  might  well  have  taken  for  models  in  his  "  Analy- 
sis of  Beauty  in  Women." 

As  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Pimos  and  Coco-Mari- 
copas  are  the  same,  w^ith  the  exception  of  their  rites  of  burial, 
I  shall  include  both  in  describing  these  customs  ;  although 
there  is  little  doubt  but  that  the  knowledge  of  the  arts  which 
they  possess  originated  with  the  Pimos.  Cotton  is  raised  by 
them,  which  they  spin  and  weave.  Their  only  manufactures 
consist  of  blankets  of  various  textures  and  sizes  ;  a  heavy  cloth 
of  the  5ame  material  used  by  the  women  to  put  around  their 
loins  ;  and  an  article  from  three  to  four  inclies  wide,  used  as 
a  band  for  the  head,  or  a  girdle  for  the  waist.  The  blankets 
are  woven  with  large  threads,  slightly  twisted  and  without  any 
nap.  They  are  made  of  white  cotton,  and  are  without  orna- 
ment of  colors  or  figures,  save  a  narrow  selvage  of  buff. 

The  implements  used  by  these  tribes  for  spinning  and 
weaving  are  of  the  most  primitive  character.  A  slender  stick 
about  two  feet  long  passing  through  a  block  of  wood  which 
serves  to  keep  up  the  momentum  imparted  to  it,  constitutes  the 
spindle.  One  end  of  this  rests  on  a  wooden  cup  inserted  be- 
tween the  toes,  and  the  other  is  held  and  twirled  by  the  fingers 
of  the  riglit  hand  ;  while  the  left  hand  is  occupied  in  drawing 
out  the  thread  from  the  supply  of  cotton,  which  is  coiled  upon 
the  left  arm  in  loose  rolls. 

In  weaving,  the  warp  is  attached  to  two  sticks,  and 
stretched  upon  the  ground  by  means  of  stakes.  Each  alter- 
4* 


82 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 


nate  thread  of  the  warp  is  passed  round  a  piece  of  cane,  which, 
being  lifted,  opens  a  passage  for  the  shuttle  in  the  manner  of 
a  sley.  The  operator  sits  in  the  fashion  of  a  tailor,  and, 
raising  the  sley  with  one  hand,  with  the  other  passes  the  shut- 
tle, which  is  simply  a  pointed  stick  with  the  thread  wound 


INDIANS    RELICS. 


upon  it,  between  the  threads  of  the  warp.  The  work'  is  beaten 
up  after  the  passage  of  each  thread  by  the  use  of  a  sharp 
smooth-edged  instrument  made  of  hard  wood.  The  operation 
of  course  progresses  slowly ;  and  from  the  length  of  time  con- 
sumed in  spinning  and  weaving,  they  set  a  hi^^h  r»rice  upon 


THE  PIMO   AND   COCO-MAEICOPA  INDIANS. 


83 


their  blankets,  asking  for  them  ten  or  twelve  dollars  in  money, 
or  a  new  woollen  blanket  of  equal  size.  The  weaving  is 
generally  done  by  the  old  men. 

The  pottery  made  by  these  tribes  is  all  red  or  dark  brown, 
the  latter  a  blending  of  black  and  red.  The  articles  made  are 
very  limited,  though,  perhaps,  quite  sufficient  for  their  wants. 
In  fact,  they  are  the  same  as  those  made  and  in  use  by  the 
Mexicans.  They  consist  of  oUas,  or  vases,  of  every  size,  the 
largest  holding  about  two  pailfulls,  and  the  smallest  half  a 
pint ;  jars,  with  small  apertures,  resembling  bottles  ;  basins  of 
different  sizes  and  forms,  from  that  of  a  milk-pan  to  a  saucer  ; 


BASKETS    AND    POTTERY   OF  THE   PIMOS  AND   COCO-MAPvICOPAS. 


and  oblong  vessels  of  small  dimensions  used  as  dippers.  All 
these  vessels  are  painted  or  ornamented  with  black  lines  ar- 
ranged in  geometrical  figures,  and  of  a  character  resembling 
those  on  the  head-bands. 


84  NOKTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

The  basket  work  of  tliis  people  is  remarkably  well  made 
of  willow  twigs,  and  so  close  as  to  be  impervious  to  water. 
The  baskets  are  of  various  shapes,  and  are  used  for  different 
purposes.  Those  of  a  large  basin-like  form  are  the  most  com- 
mon. These  they  carry  on  their  heads  filled  with  corn  or 
other  articles.  Like  the  pottery,  they  are  ornamented  with 
geometrical  figures,  arranged  with  much  taste. 

The  dress  of  the  Coco-Maricopas  and  the  Pimos  is  the 
same.  The  women  fold  the  smaller  blankets  or  other  cloths, 
and  pass  them  around  their  loins,  letting  them  hang  to  their 
knees.  They  are  sometimes  fastened  with  one  of  the  belts 
before  mentioned,  but  are  generally  kept  in  place  by  simply 
tucking  one  end  in.  Sandals  of  raw  hide  are  worn  on  the 
feet.     Nothing  is  worn  on  the  head,  nor  is  the  hair  ever  tied 


BREECH   CLOTH. 


up.  In  front  it  is  cut  off  square  across  the  eyebrows ;  the 
rest  is  suffered  to  hang  loosely  over  the  ears,  neck,  and  about 
half  way  down  the  back,  affording  a  protection  to  these  parts 
from  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun.  It  is  a  universal  custom 
among  the  Avomen  when  they  arrive  at  maturity,  to  draw  two 
lines  with  some  blue  colored  dye  from  each  corner  of  the 


THE  PmO   AND   COCO-MAEICOPA   INDIANS.  85 

mouth  to  the  chin.  This  is  pricked  in  with  some  pointed  instru- 
ment, and  remains  through  life.  Occasionally  a  fair  one  gets 
a  string  of  beads  ;  but  I  saw  more  men  and  boys  with  these 
ornaments  than  women.  One  boy  in  particular,  who  might 
pass  for  a  dandy  among  them,  wore  some  twenty  or  more 
strings  of  beads.  The  body,  arms,  and  legs  of  the  women  are 
naked.  They  generally  have  fine  forms  ;  for  which  they  are 
indebted,  as  I  have  before  remarked,  to  their  mode  of  carrying 
burdens  on  their  heads.  In  this  respect,  there  is  a  marked 
difference  between  them  and  the  men,  who  are  generally  lean 
and  lank,  with  very  small  limbs  and  narrow  chests.  Their 
labor  is  so  light,  and  they  keep  so  closely  to  their  villages  or 
the  immediate  vicinity,  that  there  is  no  opportunity  for  phys- 
ical development.  The  men  in  general  go  naked,  except  the 
breech-cloth.  A  fevr,  however,  are  provided  with  their  native 
blankets  of  large  size,  which  they  fold  and  throw  over  their 
shoulders  in  the  manner  of  the  Mexicans.  Some  fasten  them 
around  their  waists  in  graceful  folds,  letting  the  ends  fall  to 
their  knees ;  then  drawing  a  cord  between  their  legs  and 
attaching  it  to  their  waists,  their  garment  resembles  a  capa- 
cious pair  of  pantaloons.  I  suppose  that  all  are  provided  with 
cotton  blankets  ;  but,  owing  to  the  almost  incessant  heat  of  the 
day,  they  seldom  wear  them.  At  night,  when  cool,  these 
constitute  their  sole  covering.  The  head-band  is  worn  by 
nearly  all  the  men  gi'acefuUy  put  on  in  several  folds,  with  the 
braided  ends  hanging  down  to  their  shoulders.  They  also 
have  a  large  woollen  cord,  from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  in 
diameter,  of  different  colors,  which  they  use  as  a  head  orna- 
ment, twining  it  around  the  hair.  So  many  Americans  have 
been  among  these  people,  that  most  of  them  have  obtained 
ragged  or  cast-off  shirts,  which  they  put  on  on  great  occasions. 
By  their  traffic  with  the  Boundary  Commission,  they  obtained 
a  large  number  of  these  garments  of  a  good  substantial  quality, 
both  cotton  and  woollen.  The  bright  scarlet  shirts  gave  them 
quite  a  picturesque  appearance.    When  they  visited  our  camp, 


86 


NOETH   AND   SOUTH   A^IEKICA. 


every  man  put  on  his  best  garments,  no  matter  what  was  their 
fashion  or  how  many  he  had.  I  remember  that  on  one  occa- 
sion Francisco  made  his  appearance  in  a  pair  of  pantaloons, 
with  a  white  shirt,  over  which  was  a  checked  one,  and  another 
of  red  flannel  outside  of  that.  For  a  short  time  he  strutted 
about  the  camp,  the  envy  and  admiration  of  his  friends.  But 
he  soon  got  tired  of  sporting  such  a  dress  with  the  heat  at 


GROUP  OF  PIMO   INDIANS. 


110°  ;  and  shortly  after  we  saw  him  cooling  off  on  the  grass, 
divested  of  all  his  finery,  which  he  had  carefully  tied  up  in 
a  bundle. 

The  men  wear  their  hair  long,  never  cutting  it  except 


THE  PIMO  A^   COCO-MAEICOPA  INDIANS.  87 

across  the  eyebrows,  down  to  which  it  hangs,  and  thus  par- 
tially protects  the  eyes.  When  loosed,  their  hair  reaches  to 
their  knees  ;  but  usually  it  is  clubbed  up  in  a  large  mass  on 
their  backs.  Their  ear-locks  either  hang  loose,  or  are  braided 
in  several  strands,  with  little  ornaments  of  bone,  tin,  or  red 
cloth  attached  to  them.  But  the  decoration  of  their  heads 
with  the  bands  of  which  I  have  spoken,  forms  the  most  pic- 
turesque part  of  their  costume.  They  have  a  singular  practice 
of  filling  their  hair  with  clay  ;  so  that  when  dry  it  resembles 
a  great  turban.  I  could  not  imagine  their  object  in  adopting 
so  filthy  a  custom,  unless  it  was  to  destroy  the  vermin.  The 
men  also  wear  a  profusion  of  beads  when  they  can  obtain 
them.  Some  have  long  strings  of  sea-shells  or  parts  of  shells, 
which  are  highly  prize'd.  I  tried  to  buy  some  of  them ;  but 
the  only  man  at  all  disposed  to  sell  asked  me  five  dollars  or  a 
pair  of  blankets  for  a  few  strings,  a  price  so  extravagant  that 
I  declined  to  make  the  purchase. 

The  women  carry  their  infants  in  cradles  similar  to  those 
of  other  Indians.  I  have  seen  them  in  camp  with  a  basket  of 
green  corn  on  their  heads,  and  on  the  top  of  this  the  cradle 
and  child.  When  it  gets  to  be  about  a  year  old,  it  is  carried 
astride  on  the  hip,  the  mother  holding  one  arm  around  its 
body.  Although  the  men  and  boys  go  naked,  I  never  saw  a 
girl,  however  young,  without  clothes  around  its  hips  similar  to 
those  worn  by  the  women. 

The  villages  consist  of  groups  of  from  twenty  to  fifty  hab- 
itations, surrounded  by  gardens  and  cultivated  fields,  inter- 
sected in  every  direction  by  acequias,  which  lead  the  water 
from  the  Gila.  Their  mode  of  irrigation  is  the  same  as  that 
practised  in  various  parts  of  Mexico.  Their  cultivated  fields 
are  generally  fenced  with  crooked  stakes,  wattled  with  brush, 
the  thorny  mezquit  predominating ;  although  I  noticed  large 
patches  of  wheat,  a  long  distance  from  any  village,  they  were 
not  inclosed. 

Their  houses  are  built  with  stakes,-  poles,  corn-shucks,  and 


88 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH   A^IERICA. 


straw.  For  the  small  houses,  four  upright  stakes  forked  at 
one  end  are  inserted  in  the  ground.  For  the  larger  dwellings 
nine  are  used ;  two  on  ea^h  side,  and  one  in  the  centre. 
Across  the  tops  of  these  other  sticks  are  laid  to  support  the 
roof.  Next  a  row  bf  poles  is  inserted  in  the  ground,  a  few 
feet  outside  the  larger  upright  stakes,  bent  over  toward  the 


INDIAN  VILLAGE. 


centre  and  fastened  to  the  horizontal  beams.  These  are  then 
united  in  the  centre,  forming  a  slightly-rounded  top.  Smaller 
poles  are  now  horizontally  interlaced  with  the  upright  ones, 
and  between  them  straw,  corn-shucks,  or  rushes  are  inter 


THE   PIMO   AND   COCO-MARICOPA   INDIANS. 


89 


woven  in  large  masses,  so  as  to  shed  the  rain  and  protect  them 
from  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun  ;  some  are  then  plastered  over 
with  mud.  An  opening  for  a  door  is  left,  about  three  feet 
high,  to  creep  in  at.  These  habitations  vary  in  height  from 
five  to  seven  feet ;  so  that  in  many  of  them  one  cannot  stand 
erect.  In  fact  they  are  chiefly  used  to  sit  and  sleep  in.  In 
diameter  they  are  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet. 


r-   r 


&^^ 


^^•^^ 


PIMO   STORE-HOUSE. 


Besides  the  dwelling-places,  each  family  is  provided  with  a 
store-house  or  granary.  These  are  built  like  the  Mexican 
jakals,  i.  e.,  with  stakes  placed  close  together  and  about  eight 
or  nine  feet  high.  They  are  better  structures  than  the  dwell- 
ings, and  are  probably  made  more  open,  in  order  to  give  a 
free  circulation  of  air  through  the  grain  deposited  in  them. 
They  are  wattled  with  straw  and  rushes,  and  are  sometimes 
coated  with  a  thick  layer  of  mud.  As  this  becomes  dry,  ad- 
ditional layers  of  mud  are  added,  which  render  them  impervi- 
ous to  water.  The  wheat  and  shelled  corn  (maize)  are  put 
into  large  vases  or  baskets,  from  three  to  five  feet  high,  made 
out  of  ropes  of  wheaten  straw.     These  ropes,  which  are  as 


90  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

thick  as  one's  arm,  are  coiled  around  into  graceful  forms,  and 
sewed  together  like  some  kinds  of  basket  work.  The  vases 
so  formed  contain  ten  or  twelve,  and  some  even  fifteen  bushels 
of  grain. 


THE  PETAHAYA. 

This  curious  plant  is  found  on  the  high  table-lands  on  either 
side  of  the  Gila,  and  in  various  parts  of  the  State  of  Sonora, 
growing  often  in  the  crevices  of  rocks,  and  in  other  situations 
where  it  would  seem  difficult  for  any  vegetable  production  to 
find  sustenance.  The  forms  it  assumes  are  various ;  some- 
times rising  like  a  simple  fluted  column,  although  more  fre- 
quently it  is  furnished  with  several  branches,  which,  after 
leaving  the  main  trunk,  turn  gracefully  upward  and  rise 
parallel  with  it.  Sometimes  the  branches  are  singularly  con- 
torted ;  but  usually  their  disposition  is  symmetrical,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  whole  plant  has  been,  not  inaptly,  compared 
to  that  of  a  giant  candelabrum.  The  stem  is  from  one  foot 
to  two  feet  six  inches  in  diameter,  usually  smaller  near  the 
base,  and  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  in  height.  This  immense 
column  is  admirably  strengthened  by  a  circle  of  ribs  of  strong 
and  elastic  wood,  which  are  imbedded  in  the  cellular  mass  of 
the  plant,  several  inches  within  the  circumference,  and  extend 
to  the  roots.  This  woody  portion  remains  after  the  fleshy 
substance  of  the  plant  decays,  looking  like  a  huge  skeleton. 
The  stem  is  marked  with  longitudinal  furrows,  which  are 
shallow  toward  the  ground,  and  deeper  and  more  numerous 
toward  the  summit ;  and  above  the  ribs  it  is  thickly  set  with 
clusters  of  spinas  or  thorns.  Of  these  there  are  six  large  and 
numerous  small  ones,  in  each  cluster.  As  the  plant  increases 
in  age,  the  larger  spines  fall  ofi^,  leaving  a  ray  of  smaller  ones, 
which  lie  close  to  the  stem. 


THE   PETAHAYA. 


91 


Most  traveUers  who  have  noticed  this  cereus,  have  not 
been  fortunate  enough  to  see  the  fruit  and  flower,  but  have 
derived  their  accounts  of  them  from  the  Indians.  On  pur 
passage  across  the  country  in  September,  October,  November, 


INDIAN   MISSION. 


and  December,  we  saw  the  tree  ;  and  on  our  return  in  June 
and  July,  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  beholding  the  fruit  in 
perfection,  and  occasional  specimens  of  the  flower.  The 
plant  probably  blooms  late  in  May,  or  early  in  June  ;  and  the 
fruit  is  matured  in  July  and  August.  The  flowers  are  borne 
on  the  summits  of  the  branches,  are  three  inches  in  diameter, 
and  about  the  same  in  length.     The  petals  are  stiff  and  curl- 


92  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

ing,  and  of  a  cream-white  color.  The  stamens  are  yellow  and 
very  numerous.  The  fruit  is  about  the  size  and  shape  of  an 
egg  ;  sometimes  rather  longer  than  the  true  egg  shape,  having 
a  few  small  scales,  >vithout  spines.  The  color  of  the  fruit  is 
green  tinged  with  red,  when  fully  ripe.  It  consists  of  an  outer 
coat  or  skin  filled  with  a  red  pulp,  inclosing  numerous  small, 
black,  smooth  seeds.  The  fruit,  when  mature,  bursts  at  the 
top  and  exposes  the  pulp,  which  at  this  time  is  rather  mawkish 
to  the  taste ;  but  a  few  days'  exposure  to  the  sun  dries  it  to 
about  one-third  its  original  bulk,  and  the  whole  mass  drops 
out  of  the  skin.  In  this  state  it  has  the  consistency  of  the 
pulp  of  a  dried  fig ;  and  the  saccharine  matter  being  concen- 
trated by  drying,  it  somewhat  resembles  that  fruit  in  taste. 
The  Pimo  and  other  Indians  collect  the  pulp  and  roll  it  into 
balls ;  in  which  state  it  probably  keeps  the  whole  year,  as  it 
was  offered  to  our  party  which  passed  through  in  January. 
They  also  boil  the  pulp  in  water,  and  evaporate  it  to  the  con- 
sistence of  molasses ;  after  which  it  is  preserved  in  earthen 
jars. 


now  GOLD  WAS  FIRST  DISCOVERED  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

The  first  discovery  of  gold  in  California  happened  at  Co- 
loma,  a  valley  and  town  situated  between  fifty  and  sixty  miles 
east  of  Sacramento  City,  in  the  month  of  January,  1818  ; 
curiously  enough,  just  when  the  land  was  ceasing  to  be  Mex- 
ican. Many  strange  and  improbable  stories  have  been  told  as 
to  the  alleged  earliest  discoveries  ;  but  we  believe  that  the 
only  reliable  account  is  that  given  by  Captain  Sutter,  upon 
whose  ground  the  precious  metal  was  first  found,  and  which 
we  shall  therefore  adopt,  without  noticing  the  various  fabulous 
statements  alluded  to. 

It  appears  that  Captain  Sutter,  during  the  winter  of  1847- 
*48,  was  erecting  a  saw-mill  for  producing  lumber,  on  the 


HOW  GOLD  WAS  FIEST  DISCOVEEED  m  CALIFORNIA.       93 

south  fork  of  the  American  River,  a  feeder  of  the  Sacramento. 
Mr.  James  W.  Marshall  contracted  with  Sutter  for  the  build- 
ing of  this  mill ;  and,  in  the  course  of  his  operations,  had 
occasion  to  admit  the  river  water  into  the  tail-race,  for  the 
purpose  of  widening  and  deepening  it  by  the  strength  of  the 


suiter's  mill. 


current.  In  doing  this,  a  considerable  quantity  of  mud,  sand, 
and  gravel  was  carried  along  with  the  stream,  and  deposited 
in  a  heap  at  the  foot  of  the  tail-race.  Marshall,  when  one 
day  examining  the  state  of  his  works,  noticed  a  few  glittering 
particles  lying  near  the  edge  of  the  heap.     His  curiosity  being 


94  *  NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AilEEICA. 

aroused,  he  gathered  some  of  the  sparkling  objects ;  and  at 
once  became  satisfied  of  their  nature  and  the  value  of  his  dis- 
covery. All  trembling  with  excitement,  he  hurried  to  his 
employer,  and  told  his  story.  Captain  Sutter  at  first  thought 
it  was  a  fiction,  and  the  teller  only  a  mad  fool.  Indeed,  he 
confesses  that  he  kept  a  sharp  eye  upon  his  loaded  rifle,  when 
he,  whom  he  was  tempted  to  consider  a  maniac,  was  eagerly 
disclosing  the  miraculous  tale.  However,  his  doubts  were  all 
at  once  dispelled  when  Marshall  tossed  on  the  table  before  him 
an  ounce  or  so  of  the  shining  dust.  The  two  agreed  to  keep 
the  matter  secret,  and  quietly  share  the  golden  harvest  between 
them.  But,  as  they  afterwards  searched  more  narrowly  to- 
gether, and  gloated  upon  the  rich  deposits,  their  eager  gestures 
and  looks,  and  muttered,  broken  words,  happened  to  be  closely 
watched  by  a  Mormon  laborer  employed  about  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  followed  their  movements,  and  speedily  became  as 
wise  as  themselves.  As  secrecy  was  of  little  importance  to 
him,  he  forthwith  divulged  the  extraordinary  intelligence,  and 
in  confirmation  of  the  story,  exhibited  some  scales  of  gold 
which  he  had  himself  gathered.  Immediately,'  everybody  in 
the  neighborhood  left  his  regular  employment,  and  began  to 
search  for  the  precious  metal.  A  large  body  of  Mormon  im- 
migrants about  this  time  was  approaching  California  by  the 
south  pass  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  and,  on  hearing  news  of 
the  discovery,  hastened  at  once  to  the  spot.  Rumors  of  these 
circumstances  speedily  flew  across  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land,  variously  modified  by  the  warmth  or  coolness  of 
fancy  of  the  successive  narrators,  but  all  agreeing  in  this,  that 
gold  was  to  be  had  in  large  quantities,  for  the  mere  trouble  of 
picking  it  up,  at  Sutter's  Mill,  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Bio  de 
los  Americanos.  To  that  quarter,  then,  all  the  loose  population 
around  instantly  directed  their  steps.  Soon  the  neighborhood 
swarmed  with  diggers  ;  and,  within  a  few  days  after  the  first 
discovery,  upwards  of  twelve  hundred  people  were  busily  at 
work,  with  spades,  shovels,  knives,  sticks,  wooden  bowls,  era- 


HOW  GOLD  WAS  FIEST  DISCOVEEED  IN  CALIEOENIA. 


95 


dies,  and  all  manner  of  implements,  many  of  them  of  the 
rudest  and  most  primitive  fashion,  excavating,  riddling,  and 
washing  earth  for  the  precious  particles  it  contained.  Over 
all  California  the  excitement  was  prodigious.  Spaniard,  Amer- 
ican, and  foreigner  were  all  alike  affected.     The  husband  left 


EMIGRANT   TPvAIN. 


his  wife  ;  the  father,  his  family  ;  people  tore  themselves  from 
the  most  pressing  duties  at  home  ;  men  deserted  their  masters, 
and  these  followed  their  servants — all  hurried  to  Sutter's  Mill. 
Some  withstood  the  temptation  for  a  short  time  ;  but,  very 
soon,  nearly  the  whole  male  population  of  the  country,  unable 


96  NORTH   AND    SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

to  resist  the  evidence  of  their  senses  when  specimens  of  the 
newly-found  gold  were-  exhibited  before  their  dilated  eyes,  be- 
came suddenly  infected  with  the  maddened  whirl  of  the  "yellow 
fever " — the  auri  sacra  fames,  and  rushed  off  at  a  tangent, 
helter-skelter,  to  gather  riches,  as  Aladdin  had  plucked  fruits 
of  priceless  value  in  his  fairy  garden,  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  among  the  valleys  of  the  Snowy  Mountains.  ^  Towns 
were  dispeopled,  ships  in  harbor  deserted,  all  kinds  of  business 
sent  to  the  dogs  ;  the  whole  settled  parts  of  the  country  were 
suddenly  deprived  of  their  inhabitants,  or  women  and  children 
alone  formed  the  population,  though  even  of  these  many  flocked 
to  the  placers  and  the  diggings,  to  see  and  be  seen,  to  make 
money  somehow,  and  as  surely  to  spend  it. 

Meanwhile,  other  streams  and  other  valleys  were  found 
to  contain  the  auriferous  sands.  Not  only  the  whole  strip 
of  country  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  which  was  drained  by 
feeders  of  the  Sacramento,  but  that  other  strip,  locally  in  con- 
nection with  the  former,  and  lying  to  the  south,  which  was 
watered  by  the  streams  which  fell  into  the  San  Joaquin,  was 
ascertained  also  to  possess  auriferous  deposits  in  large  quan- 
tities. In  fact  it  was  believed  that  the  gold  regions  could  not 
be  exhausted  of  their  treasures  during  countless  generations. 
There  was  enough,  therefore,  and  to  spare,  for  all  comers, 
though  their  name  should  be  "  legion."  Individuals  were 
daily  making  considerable  fortunes,  while  all  who  chose  to 
work  steadily  at  the  business,  Avere  sure  to  earn  much  larger 
wages  than  they  could  do  at  any  other  kind  of  labor  in  the 
country. 

All  this  while,  the  few  ships  that  were  enabled  to  get  away 
from  the  coast,  and  travellers  and  expresses  by  land,  were 
spreading  the  news  far  and  wide  over  remote  seas  and  through 
foreign  climes.  The  circles  of  excitement  grew  wider  and 
wider,  and  scarcely  lost  strength  as  they  spread  farther  distant. 
First,  the  Mexicans  from  the  nearest,  and  then  those  from  the 
remotest  provinces,  flocked  to  California.     The  indolent,  yet 


now  GOLD  WAS  FIEST  DISCOVEEED  JN  OALIFOENIA.       97 

adventurous,  half-wild  population  of  Sonora  poured  in  its 
many  thousands  from  the  south  ;  while  Oregon  from  the  north 
sent  its  sturdy  settlers  in  almost  equal  numbers.  The  Sand- 
wich islands  followed,  with  their  strange  medley  of  white  and 
colored  races.     Peru  and  Chili  then  hurried  an  innumerable 


fy 


SCFFERING   EMIGRANTS 


crowd,  as  fast  as  ships  could  be  obtained  to  carry  them  to  the 
fields  of  gold.  Before  long,  China  sent  forward  her  thousands 
•of  thrifty  wandering  children,  feeble,  indeed,  both  in  body  and 
mind,  but  persevering,  and  from  their  union  into  laboring  com- 


panies, capable  of  great  feats. 
5 


Australia  likewise  contributed 


98  NOE-TH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

her  proportion  of  clever  rascals,  and  perhaps  as  many  clever 
adventurers  who  had  not  been  convicted  felons.  The  United 
States,  which  at  all  times  contain  a  vast  roving  and  excitable 
population,  next  were  aifected  to  their  very  centres ;  and 
armies — ^to  use  a  moderate  term,  were  on  a  sudden  organized 
instantly  to  proceed  to  California  and  share  in  the  golden  spoil. 
The  year  1848  was  lost  for  the  land  passage  ;  but  by  the  early 
summer  of  1849,  great  and  numerous  caravans  were  in  full 
march,  by  various  routes,  across  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Many 
hardships  were  endured  by  these  immigrants,  and  numbers 
died  on  the  road.  But  their  unburied  bodies  and  bleaching 
skeletons  were  unheeded  by  the  succeeding  throng,  or  only 
pointed  out  to  the  weary  yet  restless  travellers  the  paths 
where  others  had  gone  before,  and  which  perhaps  the  new- 
comers should  only  avoid.  On — on !  to  the  land  of  gold ! 
There,  fortune  smiled  on  all,  while  her  worshippers  revelled 
among  riches.  On — on  !  Round  Cape  Horn  fleets  were  bear- 
ing additional  thousands  ;  while  through  Mexico  to  all  her 
eastern  ports,  and  especially  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
still  other  thousands  were  hurrying,  by  new  ships  on  the 
Pacific,  to  the  "  Golden  Gate."  Later  in  the  year,  and  some- 
what diminished  in  intensity,  the  excitement  produced  in 
Europe  similar  results.  Many  of  the  young,  strong,  and  ad- 
venturous, the  idle,  dissipated,  reckless,  sanguine  youths  of 
Great  Britain,  France,  and  Germany,  broke  through  the  ties 
of  home,  friends,  and  country,  and  perhaps  of  civilization 
itself,  and  embarked  for  California,  to  seize  fortune  in  a 
bound,  and  with  one  eager  clutch,  or  to  perish  in  the  attempt. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  GOLD  DIGGING. 

At  first  the  general  gains  of  the  miners,  though  great,  were 
Uttle  compared  to  what  shortly  afterwards  were  collected.  But 
any  positive  statement  on  this  matter  is  naturally  subject  to 


THE  EOMANCE   OF   GOLD   DIGGING. 


99 


error,  since  none  could  personally  know  more  than  what  was 
taking  place  around  the  scene  of  his  own  operations,  or  where 
he  was  immediately  travelling.  If,  however,  we  compare  differ- 
ent accounts,  and  endeavor  to  form  from  them  something  like  a 
fair  average,  we  might  find  that  from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars'  worth 


^x| 


RUSH  FOR  THE  GOLD  REGIONS. 


of  gold  dust  was  about  the  usual  proceeds  of  an  ordinary  day's 
hard  work.  But  while  that  might  have  been  the  average, 
people  listened  more  to  the  individual  instances  of  extraor- 
dinary success. 

Well-authenticated   accounts  described  many  known  per- 
sons as  averaging   from   one  to  two  hundred  dollars  a  day 


100  NOETH    AND    SOUTH   AlIERICA. 

for  a  long  period.  Numerous  others  were  said  to  be  earn- 
ing even  from  five  to  eight  hundred  dollars  a  day.  A  piece 
of  four  pounds  in  weight  was  early  found.  If,  indeed,  in  many 
cases,  a  man  with  a  pick  and  pan  did  not  easily  gather  some 
thirty  or  forty  dollars*  worth  of  dust  in  a  single  day,  he  just 
moved  oiF  to  some  other  place  which  he  supposed  might  be 
richer.  When  the  miners  knew  a  little  better  about  the  busi- 
ness and  the  mode  of  turning  their  labor  to  the  most  profitable 
account,  the  returns  were  correspondingly  increased.  At  what 
were  called  the  "  dry  diggings"  particularly,  the  yield  of  gold 
was  enormous.  One  piece  of  pure  metal  was  found  of  thir- 
teen pounds  weight.  The  common  instrument  at  first  made 
use  of  was  a  simple  butcher's  knife  ;  and  as  every  thing  was 
valuable  in  proportion  to  the  demand  and  supply,  butchers' 
knives  suddenly  went  up  to  twenty  and  thirty  dollars  apiece. 
But  afterwards  the  pick  and  shovel  were  employed.  The 
auriferous  earth,  dug  out  of  ravines  and  holes  in  the  sides  of 
the  mountains,  was  packed  on  horses,  and  carried  one,  two,  or 
three  miles,  to  the  nearest  water,  to  be  washed.  An  average 
price  of  this  washing  dirt  was,  at  one  period,  so  much  as  four 
hundred  dollars  a  cart  load.  In  one  instance,  five  loads  of 
such  earth  sold  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty-two  dollars,  which 
yielded,  after  washing,  sixteen  thousand  dollars.  Cases  oc- 
curred where  men  carried  the  earth  in  sacks  on  their  backs  to 
the  watering  places,  and  collected  eight  to  fifteen  hundred  dol- 
lars in  a  day,  as  the  proceeds  of  their  labor.  Individuals 
made  their  five  thousand,  ten  thousand,  and  fifteen  thousand 
dollars  in  the  space  of  only  a  few  weeks.  One  man  dug  out 
twelve  thousand  dollars  in  six  days.  Three  others  obtained 
eight  thousand  dollars  in  a  single  day.  But  these,  of  course, 
were  extreme  cases.  Still  it  was  undoubtedly  true,  that  a 
large  proportion  of  the  miners  were  earning  such  sums  as  they 
had  never  seen  in  their  lives  before,  and  which,  si:35:  months 
earlier,  would  have  appeared  a  downright  fable.  "When  the 
"  Californian "   newspaper  resumed    its    issue   in  July,   the 


THE   ROMANCE   OF   GOLD    DIGGING. 


101 


editors  said  that  the  publisher  of  the  paper,  "when  on  a 
tonr  alone  to  the  mining  district"  (probably  in  June),  "col- 
lected, with  the  aid  of  a  shovel,  pick  and  tin  pan,  about 
twenty  inches  in  diameter,  from  forty-four  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  dollars  a  day,  averaging  one  hundred  dollars." 
This  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  moderately  fortunate  miner. 


^ 


A  JONINa  SCENE. 


The  story  has  a  shady  as  well  as  a  bright  side,  and  would 
be  incomplete  unless  both  were  shown.  There  happened  to  be 
a  "  sickly  season  "  in  the  autumn  at  the  mines  ;  and  many  of 
the  miners  sank  under  fever  and  diseases  of  the  bowels.     A 


102  NOETH    AND   SOUTH    AMERICA. 

severe  kind  of  labor,  to  which  most  had  been  unaccustomed,  a 
complete  change  of  diet  and  habits,  insufficient  shelter,  con- 
tinued mental  excitement,  and  the  excesses  in  personal  amuse- 
ment and  dissipation  which  golden  gains  induced,  added  to  the 
natural  unhealthiness  that  might  have  existed  in  the  district  at 
different  periods  of  the  year,  soon  introduced  sore  bodily  trou- 
bles upon  many  of  the  mining  population.  No  gains  could 
compensate  a  dying  man  for  the  fatal  sickness  engendered  by 
his  own  avaricious  exertions.  In  the  wild  race  for  riches,  the 
invalid  was  neglected  by  old  comrades  still  in  rude  health  and 
the  riotous  enjoyment  of  all  the  pleasures  that  gold  and  the 
hope  of  continually  adding  to  their  store  could  bestow.  When 
that  was  the  case  with  old  companions  it  could  not  be  expected 
that  strangers  should  care  whether  the  sick  man  lived  or  died. 
Who  forsooth  among  the  busy  throng  would  trouble  himself 
with  the  feeble  miner  that  had  miscalculated  his  energies,  and 
lay  dying  on  the  earthen  floor  of  his  tent  or  under  the  protect- 
ing branch  of  a  tree  ?  There  were  no  kind  eyes  to  gaze  mourn- 
fully on  him,  hearts  to  feel,  lips  to  speak  softly,  and  hands  to 
minister  to  his  wants.  His  gains  were  swept  away  to  buy  a 
hasty  and  careless  medical  attendance  ;  and  too  generally  he 
died  "  unwept,  unknelled,  unknown."  Selfishness  that  heeded 
not  the  dying  might  perchance  bury  the  dead,  if  only  the  cor- 
rupting corpse  stood  in  the  way  of  working  a  rich  claim — 
scarcely  otherwise.  Many,  not  so  far. reduced,  were  compelled 
to  return  to  their  old  homes,  the  living  spectres  of  their  former 
selves,  broken  in  constitution  and  wearied  in  spirit ;  thoroughly 
satisfied  that  the  diggings  were  not  fit  abiding  places'  for  them. 
The  implements  at  first  used  in  the  process  of  gold  seeking, 
were  only  the  common  pick  and  shovel,  and  a  tin  pan  or  wood- 
en bowl.  The  auriferous  earth  when  dug  out  was  put  into  the 
last,  and  water  being  mixed  with  it,  the  contents  were  violently 
stirred.  A  peculiar  shake  of  the  hand  or  wrist,  best  under- 
stood and  learned  by  practice,  threw  occasionally  over  the  edge 
of  the  pan  or  bowl  the  muddy  water  and  earthy  particles,  while 


THE   ROMANCE   OF    GOLD   DIGGING.  103 

the  metal,  being  heavier,  sunk  to  the  bottom.  Repeated  wash- 
ings of  this  nature,  assisted  by  breaking  the  hard  pieces  of 
earth  with  the  hand  or  a  trowel,  soon  extricated  the  gold  from 
its  covering,  and  carried  away  all  the  dirt.  But  if  even  these 
simple  implements  were  not  to  be  had,  a  sailor's  or  butcher's 
knife,  or  even  a  sharpened  hard-pointed  stick  could  pick  out 
the  larger  specimens — ^the  jpepitas,  chunks,  or  nuggets  of  differ- 
ent miners — ^while  the  finer  scales  of  gold  could  be  washed 
from  the  covering  earth  in  Indian  willow-woven  baskets,  clay 
cups,  old  hats,  or  any  rude  apology  for  a  dish ;  or  the  dried 
sand  could  be  exposed  on  canvas  to  the  wind,  or  diligently 
blown  by  the  breath,  until  nothing  was  left  but  the  particles 
of  pure  gold  that  were  too  heavy  to  be  carried  away  by  these 
operations.  Afterwards  the  rocker  or  cradle  and  Long  Tom 
were  introduced,  which  required  several  hands  to  feed  and 
work  them ;  and  the  returns  by  which  were  correspondingly 
great.  Every  machine,  however,  was  worked  on  the  same 
principle,  by  rocking  or  washing,  of  separating  by  the  mechan- 
ical means  of  gravitation,  the  heavier  particles — the  gold  from 
stones,  and  the  lighter  ones  of  earth. 

Provisions  and  necessaries,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
soon  rose  in  price  enormously.  At  first  the  rise  was  moderate 
indeed,  four  hundred  per  cent,  for  flour,  and  five  hundred  for 
beef  cattle,  while  other  things  were  in  proportion.  But  these 
were  trifles.  The  time  soon  came  when  eggs  were  sole  at  one, 
two,  and  three  dollars  apiece  ;  inferior  sugar,  tea,  and  coffee, 
at  four  dollars  a  pound  in  small  quantities,  or,  three  or  four 
hundred  dollars  a  barrel ;  medicines — say,  for  laudanum,  a 
dollar  a  drop  (actually  forty  dollars  were  paid  for  a  dose  of 
that  quantity) ,  and  ten  dollars  a  pill  or  purge,  without  advice, 
or  with  it,  from  thirty,  up,  aye,  to  one  hundred  dollars.  Spirits 
were  sold  at  various  prices,  from  ten  to  forty  dollars  a  quart ; 
and  wines  at  about  as  much  per  bottle.  Picks  and  shovels  ranged 
from  five  to  fifteen  dollars  each  ;  and  common  wooden  or  tin 
bowls  about  half  as  much.     Clumsy  rockers  were  sold  at  from 


104 


NOKTH   AND    SOUTH    AMEEICA. 


fifty  to  eighty  dollars,  and  small  gold  scales,  from  twenty  to 
thirty.  As  for  beef,  little  of  it  was  to  be  had,  and  then  only 
jerked,  at  correspondingly  high  prices.  For  luxuries — of 
which  there  were  not  many  ;  if  a  lucky  miner  set  his  heart  on 
some  trifle,  it  might  be  pickles,  fruit,  fresh  pork,  sweet  butter, 
new  vegetables,  a  box  of  Seidlitz  powders  or  of  matches,  he 


MUDDY   STREETS   IN   SAN  FRANCISCO,    IN    1849. 


was  prepared  to  give  any  quantity  of  the  "  dust"  rather  than 
be  balked.  We  dare  not  trust  ourselves  to  name  some  of  the 
faricy  prices  thus  given,  lest  we  should  be  supposed  to  be  only 
romancing.     No  man  would  give  another  a  hand's  turn  for 


THE  KOMANCE   OF   GOLD   DIGGING.  105 

less  than  five  dolors  ;  while  a  day's  constant  labor  of  the  com- 
monest kind,  if  it  could  have  been  procured  at  all,  would  cost 
from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars,  at  least.  When  these  things, 
and  the  risks  of  sickness,  the  discomforts  of  living,  and  the 
unusual  and  severe  kind  of  labor  are  all  balanced  against  the 
average  gains,  it  may  appear  that,  aftfer  all,  the  miners  were 
only  enough  paid. 

There  was  no  such  thing  as  a  home  to  be  found  in  San 
Francisco  in  1849.  Scarcely  even  a  proper  house  could  be 
seen.  Both  dwellings  and  places  of  business  were  either  com- 
mon canvas  tents,  or  small  rough  board  shanties,  or  frame 
buildings  of  one  story.  Only  the  great  gambling  saloons,  the 
hotels,  restaurants,  and  a  few  public  buildings  and  stores,  had 
any  pretensions  to  size,  comfort,  or  elegance.  The  site  on 
which  the  town  is  built  was  then  still  covered  with  numberless 
sand-hills.  The  streets  were  therefore  uneven  and  irregular. 
By  the  continued  passage  of  men,  and  of  horses  and  drays 
with  building  materials  and  goods,  while  the  rainy  season 
(which  commenced  earlier  than  usual,  and  was  remarkably 
severe)  was  shedding  torrents  from  the  clouds,  the  different 
thoroughfares  were  soon  so  cut  up  as  to  become  almost  if  not 
quite  impassable.  Indeed  both  horse,  or  mule  and  dray  were 
sometimes  literally  swallowed  up  in  the  mud,  while  their  owner 
narrowly  escaped  a  similar  fate.  The  town  authorities  caused 
numberless  cart  loads  of  brushwood  and  limbs  of  trees  to  be 
cut  from  the  surrounding  hiUs  and  thrown  into  the  streets  ; 
but  these  only  answered  a  limited  and  temporary  purpose. 
The  difficulty  could  not  thus  be  remedied.  Nobody  troubled 
himself  to  remove  any  rubbish  from  the  way ;  but  inmates  of 
tents  and  houses  satisfied  themselves  with  placing  a  few  planks, 
tobacco-boxes,  bags  of  coffee,  barrels  of  spoiled  provisions,  or 
any  other  available  object,  across  and  along  the  worst  parts 
of  the  roads,  to  enable  them  safely  to  reach  their  own  dwell- 
ings. It  was  not  for  everybody,  however,  to  attempt  to  navi- 
gate these  perilous  places,  or  hope  to  keep  on  the  narrow, 
5* 


106 


NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 


slippery,  unsteady,  and  often  interrupted  pat]^  which  spanned 
the  unfathomed  abysses  of  mud  and  water  which  lay  on  all 
sides.  Lanterns  were  indispensable  to  pedestrians  at  night, 
and  even  in  daylight  not  a  few  would  lose  their  footing,  and 
find  it  difficult  to  extricate  themselves  from  their  unpleasant 
predicaments.  '* 


AKOTIIEU   SCENE   IN   THE   GOLD   MINES. 


In  those  miserable  apologies  for  houses,   surrounded  by 

heaps  and  patches  of  filth,  mud,  and   stagnant   water,  the 

^       strange  mixed  population  carried  on  business,  after  a  fashion. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  people  could  or  did  manage  mat- 


r  THE  EOMANCE   OF   GOLD  DIGGING.  lOT 

ters  in  the  strict,  orderly  manner  of  older  communities.  Very 
few  were  following  that  particular  business  to  which  they  had 
been  bred,  or  for  which  they  were  best  fitted  by  nature.  Every 
immigrant  on  landing  at  San  Francisco  became  a  new  man  in 
his  own  estimation,  and  was  prepared  to  undertake  any  thing 
or  any  piece  of  business  whatsoever.  And  truly  he  did  it ; 
but  it  was  with  a  deal  of  noise,  bustle,  and  unnecessary  con- 
fusion. The  great  recognized  orders  of  society  were  tumbled 
topsy-turvy.  Doctors  and  dentists  became  draymen,  or  bar- 
bers, or  shoe-blacks ;  lawyers,  brokers,  and  clerks,  turned 
waiters,  or  auctioneers,  or  perhaps  butchers  ;  merchants  tried 
laboring  and  himping,  while  ld?borers  and  lumpers  changed  to 
merchants.  The  idlest  might  be  tempted,  and  the  weakest 
were  able,  to  do  something — to  drive  a  nail  in  frame  buildings, 
lead  a  burdened  mule,  keep  a  stall,  ring  a  bell,  or  run  a  mes- 
sage. Adventurers,  merchants,  lawyers,  clerks,  tradesmen, 
mechanics,  and  every  class  in  turn  kept  lodging-houses,  eating 
and  drinking  houses,  billiard  rooms  and  gambhng  saloons,  or 
single  tables  at  these  ;  they  dabbled  in  "  beach  and  water  lots," 
fifty-vara  blocks,  and  new  town  allotments  over  the  whole 
country ;  speculated  in  flour,  beef,  pork,  and  potatoes ;  in 
lumber  and  other  building  materials ;  in  dry  goods  and  soft, 
hard  goods  and  wet ;  bought  and  sold,  wholesale  and  retail, 
and  were  ready  to  change  their  occupation  and  embark  in 
some  new  nondescript  undertaking  after  two  minutes'  con- 
sideration. All  things  seemed  in  the  utmost  disorder.  The 
streets  and  passages,  such  as  they  were,  and  the  inside  of 
tents  and  houses,  were  heaped  with  all  sorts  of  goods  and 
lumber.  There  seemed  no  method  in  any  thing.  People 
bustled  and  jostled  against  each  other,  bawled,  railed,  and 
fought,  cursed  and  swore,  sweated  and  labored  lustily,  and 
somehow  the  work  was  done.  A  spectator  would  have 
imagined  the  confusion  inextricable,  but  soon  had  reason  to 
change  his  opinion.  Everybody  was  busy,  and  knew  very 
well  what  he  himself  had  to  do.     Heaps  of  goods  disappeared, 


108 


NOETH   AND    SOUTH   AMERICA. 


as  if  by  magic,  and  new  heaps  appeared  in  their  place.  Where 
there  was  a  vacant  piece  of  ground  one  day,  the  next  saw  it 
covered  with  half  a  dozen  tents  or  shanties.  Horses,  mules 
and  oxen  forced  a  way  through,  across,  and  over  every  obstruc- 
tion in  the  streets ;  and  men  waded  and  toiled  after  them. 


^.^^<^^^>^.,^J^c^,^., 


^,v^^ 


A\' 


LODGING  ROOM. 


Hundreds  of  rude  houses  and  tents  were  daily  in  the  course 
of  erection  ;  they  nestled  between  the  sand-hills,  covered  their 
tops,  and  climbed  the  heights  to  the  north  and  west  of  the 
town. 


THE  EOMANCE   OF   GOLD   DIGGING. 


109 


As  we  have  said,  there  were  no  homes  at  this  period  in 
San  Francisco,  and  time  was  too  precious  for  any  one  to  stay- 
within  doors  to  cook  victuals.  Consequently  an  immense  ma- 
jority of  the  people  took  their  meals  at  restaurants,  boarding- 
houses  and  hotels — the  number  of  which  was  naturally  there- 


MINERS  HOMEWARD  BOUND. 


fore  very  great ;  while  many  lodged  as  well  as  boarded  at  such 
places.  Many  of  these  were  indeed  miserable  hovels,  which 
showed  only  bad  fare  and  worse  attendance,  dirt,  discomfort, 
and  high  prices.  A  few  others  again  were  of  a  superior  class  ; 
but,  of  course,  still  higher  charges  had  to  be  made  for  the 


110  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

better  accommodation.  At  best  all  were  inconveniently 
crowded,  heated,  and  disagreeable.  The  whole  population 
was  constantly  moving,  and  always  visible,  which  added 
greatly  to  its  apparent  numbers.  If  only  people  did  not  sleep 
in  public,  they  at  least  worked,  eat,  aUd  amused  themselves  in 
crowds.  But  even  at  night  they  lay  from  half  a  dozen  to  two 
score  in  a  room,  on  the  floor,  in  rows  of  cots,  or  contracted 
and  filthy  bunks  fastened  to  the  weather-boards  from  floor  to 
ceiling,  in  which  were  immense  swarms  of  fleas  and  other 
troublesome  vermin.  At  some  lodging-houses  and  hotels, 
every  superficial  inch — on  floor,  tables,  benches,  shelves,  and 
beds,  was  covered  with  a  portion  of  weary  humanity. 


THE  GREAT  METEORITE  OF  NEW  MEXICO. 

Mr.  Baetlett  gives  the  following  interesting  account  of 
the  great  meteorite  of  New  Mexico  : 

November  12th.  Our  next  stopping  place  was  the  Hacienda 
del  Bio  Florido,  about  fifteen  miles  distant ;  but  having  heard 
of  a  remarkable  meteorite  at  the  Hacienda  de  Concepcion, 
about  six  miles  from  the  direct  route,  I  determined  to  let  the 
train  pass  on,  while  I  with  a  small  party  took  the  Concepcion 
road.  Dr.  Webb,  Messrs.  Radziminski,  Seaton,  Jacobs,  and 
Force,  with  myself,  made  the  party.  Ten  miles  from  Zapata, 
across  the  table-land,  brought  us  to  a  small  stream,  where  en- 
compassed in  a  grove  of  cotton-woods,  lay  the  pretty  village  to 
which  we  were  destined. 

On  our  arrival  we  stopped  under  the  shade  of  some  large 
trees,  and  dismounting  at  once  discovered  the  object  of  our 
search  about  fifty  yards  distant,  at  the  corner  of  a  large  build- 
ing. This  was  the  residence  of  Don  Juan  Urquida,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  hacienda  and  large  estates  adjoining,  and  for- 
merly governor  of  the  State.     That  no  time  might  be  lost.  Dr. 


THE  GEEAT  METEORITE   OF  NEW  MEXICO.  Ill 

Webb  immediately  set  to  work  with  his  hammers  and  cold 
chisels  to  cut  oJfF  some  pieces  from  the  huge  mass  of  iron 
before  us.  This  he  found  to  be  an  undertaking  of  great  labor, 
in  consequence  of  the  extreme  tenacity  and  hardness  of  the 
mass.  After  an  hour's  work,  with  a  man  to  assist  him,  he 
succeeded  in  cutting  off  three  or  four  small  pieces,  which  did 
not  altogether  weigh  an  ounce,  and  were  barely  sufficient  for 
an  analysis.  Five  chisels  having  been  broken,  the  doctor  had 
to  desist  from  his  labors,  much  to  our  regret,  as  we  were 
desirous  to  obtain  some  specimens  for  cabinets. 

While  this  was  going  on,  I  took  a  couple  of  sketches  of  the 
mass,  showing  opposite  sides,  and  also  took  measurements ; 
but  the  form  was  so  irregular  that  these  measurements  can 
only  aid  in  conveying  an  idea  approximately  of  its  bulk.  Its 
greatest  height  is  forty-six  inches  ;  greatest  breadth  thirty-seven 
inches  ;  circumference  in  thickest  part  eight  feet  three<  inches. 
Its  weight,  as  given  me  by  Seiior  Urquida,  is.  thirty-eight 
quintals,  two  arrobas,  three  libras,  which,  at  one  hundred 
pounds  to  the  arroba,  would  be  equivalent  to  three  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-three  pounds. 

This  meteorite  is  very  irregular  in  form,  as  the  drawing 
shows  ;  and  one  side  is  filled  with  deep  cavities,  generally 
round,  and  of  various  dimensions.  These  cavities  were  doubt- 
less formed  when  the  mass  was  cooling.  At  its  lower  part,  as 
it  now  stands,  is  a  projecting  leg,  quite  similar  to  the  one  on  the 
meteorite  we  saw  at  Tucson,  and  which  I  have  described. 
The  back  or  broadest  part  is  less  jagged  than  the  other  por- 
tions, and  contains  fewer  cavities,  yet,  Hke  the  rest,  is  very 
irregular.* 

*  From  the  various  inquiries  made  at  Guajuquilla  and  at  the  Hacienda  de 
Concepcion,  I  learned  of  the  existence  of  meteorites,  or  masses  of  native 
iron,  in  several  places.  Of  those  near  the  former  place,  of  which  Dr.  "Webb 
went  in  search,  there  is  no  doubt.  Some  of  them  are  very  large  masses, 
partially  buried  in  the  earth ;  while  others  are  less  than  the  one  described. 
There  is  one  at  San  Gregorio,  about  jBifteen  leagues  distant ;  and  it  is  reason 


112 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 


While  we  were  at  work,  Senor  Urquida,  the  younger,  the 
brother  of  Dou  Juan,  came  X)ut.  Having  no  letters  of  intro- 
duction to  him,  I  showed  him  a  general  letter  which  General 
Trias  had  given  me  to  all  officials  on  my  route,  directing  them 

able  to  suppose  from  their  proximity,  Ahat  these  several  masses  fell  to  the 
earth  on  the  bursting  of  one  and  the  same  meteor. 

For  the  information  of  such  of  my  readers  as  are  not  familiar  with  the 
history  of  these  phenomena,  I  will  observe,  in  the  words  of  a  distinguished 
philosopher,  that  "shooting  stars,  fire-balls,  and  meteoric  stones,  are  re- 
garded, with  great  probability,  as  small  masses  moving  with  planetary  veloc- 
ity, and  revolving  in  obedience  to  the  laws  of  general  gravity  in  conic 
sections  around  the  sun.  When  these  masses  meet  the  earth  in  their  course, 
and  are  attracted  by  it,  they  enter  within  the  limits  of  our  atmosphere  in  a 
lummous  condition,  and  frequently  let  fall  more  or  less  strongly  heated  stony 
fragments,  covered  with  a  shining  black  crust."*  Another  distinguished 
writer,  Kaemtz,\  after  examining  the  several  hypotheses,  for  the  origin  of 
these  igneous  meteors,  arrives  at  similar  conclusions  to  those  of  Barou 
Humboldt.  "A  great  number  of  observations," .he  says,  "prove  that,  be- 
sides the  large  celestial  bodies,  there  are  small  ones  that  move  in  space,  such 
as  points  and  luminous  trains,  which  astronomers  have  often  seen  traversing 
the  field  of  their  telescopes.  These  millions  of  asteroids  moving  round  the 
sun,  become  visible  when  they  are  ignited  by  entering  the  terrestrial  atmos- 
phere." 

With  regard  to  the  masses  of  meteoric  iron,  many  instances  are  recorded 
where  they  have  been  known  to  fall  to  the  earth  on  the  bursting  of  meteors, 
and  have  been  carefully  examined  and  analyzed  by  philosophers.  They 
present  the  same  character,  both  in  form  and  in  their  chemical  composition ; 
metallic  iron  predominating,  with  a  few  parts  of  nickel.  "  The  connection 
of  meteoric  stones,"  says  Humboldt,:}:  "  with  the  grander  phenomenon  of 
fire-balls — ^tbe  former  being  known  to  be  projected  from  the  latter  with  such 
force  as  to  penetrate  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  into  the  earth — ^has  been  proved, 
among  many  other  instances,  in  the  fall  of  aerolites  at  Barbatan,  in  the  De- 
partment of  Landes  (24th  of  July,  I'ZOO),  at  Siena  (16th  of  June,  1794),  at 
Weston,  in  Connecticut  (14th  of  December,  ISOY),  and  at  Juvcnas,  in  the 
department  of  Ardeche  (15th  June,  1821).  Meteoric  stones  are  sometimes 
thrown  from  dark  clouds  suddenly  formed  in  a  clear  sky,  and  fall  with  a 
noise  resembling  thunder.     Whole  districts  have  occasionally  been  covered 

*  Humboldt's  Cosmos,  vol.  1.  p.  98.    Otto's  translation.     London  edition, 
t  Meteorology,  pp.  478,  479.  %  Ibid.,  p.  101. 


THE   GEEAT   METEOEITE   OF   NEW   MEXICO.  ^  113 

to  extend  to  me  and  my  party  every  facility  in  the  prosecution 
of  our  journey  to  Matamoras.  This  gentleman  was  very 
polite  to  us,  and  readily  answered  our  numerous  inquiries 
about  the  mass  of  iron.     He  said  it  was  originally  found  about 

with  thousands  of  fragmentary  masses,  of  uniform  character  but  unequal 
magnitude,  that  have  been  hurled  from  one  of  those  moving  clouds.  The 
great  meteoric  mass  which  fell  in  Siberia  in  17'71,  described  by  Pallas,  was 
regarded  by  the  Tartars  as  a  sacred  object  fallen  from  heaven.  Analogous 
masses  have  been  found  in  Bohemia,  Hungary,  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
Mexico,  Peru,  Senegal,  Baffin's  Bay,  etc.  The  iron  is  full  of  cavities,  filled 
with  more  or  less  perfect  crystals  of  olivine ;  when  these  crystals  are  re- 
moved, the  residue  still  contains  ninety  per  cent,  of  iron,  a  certain  percent- 
age of  nickel,  and  the  rest  needs  scarcely  to  be  taken  into  account."  * 

Of  the  meteoric  masses  found  in  Mexico,  Baron  Humboldt  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account :  "  In  the  environs  of  Durango  is  found  the  enormous  mass 
of  malleable  iron  and  nickel,  which  is  of  the  identical  composition  of  the 
aerolites  which  fell  in  Hungary,  in  1'751.  This  mass  is  affirmed  to  weigh 
upwards  of  1,900  myriogrammes  (41,933  pounds).'  Another  mass  was  dis- 
covered in  Zacatecas,  of  the  weight  of  97  myriogrammes  (2,140  pounds)." 
The  exterior  character  of  this  was  found  by  him  to  be  entirely  analogous  to 
the  malleable  iron  described  by  Pallas,  f 

A  collection  of  meteorites  has  been  made  by  Professor  Shepard,  of 
Amherst  College,  which  is  already  said  to  embrace  two  hundred  specimens 
from  more  than  a  hundred  different  localities.  Among  them  is  one  from 
Newberry,  South  Carolina,  weighing  fifty-eight  pounds.  Another  mass  of 
malleable  iron,  weighing  nine  pounds,  was  found  in  November,  1852,  in 
digging  a  ditch  near  Cayuga  Bridge,  on  Seneca  River,  N.  Y.  It  measured 
four  inches  in  diameter  and  seven  inches  in  length :  and  what  adds  to  the 
interest  of  this,  is  the  fact  that  but  a  few  miles  from  where  it  was  found,  a 
meteorite  fell  in  1821. X 

There  is  another  interesting  account  of  the  discovery  of  a  meteorite  in 
the  town  of  Charlotte,  North  Carolina.  In  this  case  a  whizzing  noise  was 
heard  in  the  air  by  several  persons,  accompanied  by  a  commotion  in  the 
atmosphere,  and  the  next  moment  a  stone  struck  near  them,  "  with  a  dull 
heavy  jar  of  the  ground."  On  examination,  the  meteoric  mass  referred  to 
was  discovered.     The  people  of  the  town  were  alarmed  by  "  a  sudden  ex- 

*  Kaemlz.    Meteorology,  p.  4T6. 

+  Political  Essay  on  New  Spain,  vol.  ii.,  p.  293.     London  edition. 

if  Silliman's  Journal  for  November,  1852. 


114  NOKTH   A^B   SOUTH    AMERICA. 

three  hundred  varas  (two  hundred  and  seventy  yards)  from 
its  present  location,  and  had  been  moved  at  different  periods 
by  the  people  of  the  hacienda  to  the  place  where  it  now  stands. 
It  was  brought  hither  with  the  design  of  putting  it  in  a  black- 
smith's shop,  to  be  used  as  an  anvil,  although  it  had  never 
been  so  employed.  An  attempt  was  made  to  reduce  it,  by 
building  a  large  fire  around  it,  and  heating  it  to  a  white  heat. 
But  so  intense  was  the  heat  from  so  large  a  mass,  that  the 
workmen  could  not  approach  it,  and  all  their  labor  was  lost. 
The  expense  of  this  operation  was  more  than  one  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  resulted  in  obtaining  a  piece  of  the  metal  large 
enough  to  work  into  a  pair  of  spurs. 

On  the  top,  which  is  quite  smooth,  is  an  inscription  bearing 
the  date  1600  ;  but  I  was  unable  to  make  out  a  single  word 
of  it,  so  much  has  it  been  defaced  by  hammering  and  the  addi- 
tion of  many  crosses.  It  is  said  that  the  inscription  gave 
some  account  of  its  removal. 

plosion,  followed  at  short  intervals  by  two  other  reports,  and  by  a  rumbling 
in  the  an-.  The  sounds  were  distinct,  and  continued  for  more  than  half  a 
minute.     This  meteor  was  seen  through  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles."  * 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Professor  Shepard,  into  whose  hands  this  meteorite 
has  been  placed,  will  give  the  scientific  world  the  results  of  his  extensive 
study  of  these  most  interesting  phenomena. 

Before  closing  this  note  I  will  remark,  that  early  in  the  evening  of  the 
Is*  of  June,  the  day  we  left  San  Isabel  in  California,  a  brilliant  meteor  was 
seen  by  us  all,  passing  from  west  to  east.  Another  which  surpassed  in  bril- 
Uancy,  in  the  size  of  its  mass,  the  length  of  its  fiery  train,  and  the  time  of 
its  duration,  any  that  I  ever  witnessed,  was  seen  about  8  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, between  the  15th  and  20th  October,  1852.  This  occurred  a  few  days 
before  we  reached  Chihuahua,  and  passed  from  west  to  east  over  two-thirds 
of  the  horizon,  at  the  south.  On  reaching  Ringgold  Barracks,  near  Camar- 
go,  a  few  weeks  after.  Major  Paul,  the  commanding  officer  at  that  post,  in- 
formed me  that  he  saw  the  same  meteor,  which  passed  to  the  north  of  them, 
and  heard  it  explode.  As  it  doubtless  dropped  on  the  open,  woodless  plains 
of  Texas,  which  are  now  so  much  traversed,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
masses  which  then  fell  may  be  discovered. 

*  SUliman'B  Journal  for  January,  1850. 


AN   ADVENTUKE   IN  THE  ARCTIC   REGIONS.  115 

AN  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS. 

It  would  be  useless  to  narrate  all  the  movements  of  the  Fair 
Fanny  during  a  large  portion  of  the  time  that  was  occupied  in 
beating  up  Baffin's  Bay,  in  fishing,  and  endeavoring  to  find  a 
channel  on  that  desolate  coast.  They  endured  all  the  usual 
difficulties  of  Arctic  navigation  ;  they  were  in  constant  danger 
from  icebergs  ;  they  every  now  and  then  were  checked  wholly 
by  streams  of  ice,  and  by  detached  watery  rocks  from  the 
great  northern  barrier. 

On  one  or  two  occasions  they  anchored  in  a  convenient 
bay,  and  landed  ;  but  finding  nothing  pleasing  or  encouraging 
ashore,  soon  again  sought  the  shelter  of  their  ship. 

They  were  very  successful,  however,  in  their  search  for 
food,  which,  being  principally  fresh  meat,  was  exceedingly 
welcome  to  the  whole  crew,  to  whom  salt  beef  and  pork  were 
becoming  wearisome.  This  is  one  of  the  worst  parts  of  all 
long  sea  voyages,  but  is  felt  with  more  force  in  the  Arctic  re- 
gions than  elsewhere. 

The  excitement  of  the  chase,  one  or  two  contests  with  bears, 
one  of  which  nearly  proved  fatal  to  some  of  the  crew,  and  fish- 
ing in  the  bay,  were  pleasing  changes  to  men  who  had  been 
cooped  up  so  long  in  a  small  brig. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  month  of  September  they  were 
in  latitude  74°.  The  weather  was  now  intensely  cold,  the  sea 
was  covered  by  loose  ice,  a  light  wind  made  an  advance  in  any 
direction  almost  impossible,  and  Captain  Shipton  and  Henry 
began  to  see  that  the  moment  had  arrived  to  winter  or  turn 
their  ship's  head  in  the  direction  of  home. 

Forward  there  were  continual  conferences  among  the  men, 
who  could  not  understand  "  dodging  about"  in  that  sea  without 
any  visible  aim  or  purpose.  Williams,  by  his  inuendoes  and 
sly  jokes  on  the  chief  mate,  by  his  constant  grumbling,  kept 
alive  a  feeling  of  discontent,  which  was  not  remarked  by  our 
hero. 


AN  ADVENTUEE  IN   THE  AEOTIO  KEGIONS.     IIY 

Events,  however,  rapidly  opened  his  eyes. 

It  was  a  clear  and  lovely  day  ;  a  fog  which  had  hung  round 
the  brig  had  risen,  and  displayed  before  their  eyes  the  some- 
what dreary  aspect  of  affairs.  To  the  left  rose,  at  a  distance 
of  some  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles,  a  small  headland,  near  which 
they  had  anchored  but  a  few  days  before.  Right  ahead  could 
be  plainly  distinguished  a  compact  body  of  ice,  which  stretched 
away  to  the  right  and  left,  completely  checking  all  onward 
progress.  Around  were  loose  floes,  which  began  advancing 
every  hour  with  increased  force,  and  in  greater  numbers 
toward  the  south. 

To  convey  an  idea  of  the  hardship  and  difficulty  a  vessel 
has  to  encounter  when  thus  far  advanced  into  the  polar  regions, 
it  is  necessary  to  remind  our  readers  that  the  ice  is  here  as 
hard  as  granite ;  that  it  resembles  floating  stones ;  and  it 
would  be  difficult,  indeed,  to  convey  to  the  mind  of  any  an 
idea  of  these  mountains  hurled  fiercely  through  narrow  gullies, 
encofmtering  each  other  with  a  noise  like  thunder,  splintering 
off  from  hanging  cliffs  huge  precipices,  rending  each  other 
asunder,  until,  losing  their  equilibrium,  they  pitch  headlong 
do^vn,  whirling  the  water  into  eddies,  and  lifting  it  aloft  to 
the  heavens.  The  sea  is  never  still.  Its  changes  are  like 
those  of  a  kaleidoscope. 

"•  Captain  Shipton,"  said  Henry,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  to 
the  skipper,  as  they  stood  on  the  quarter-deck,  muffled  up  so 
that  they  could  scarcely  be  distinguished  one  from  the  other, 
after  a  visit  to  the  crow's-nest,  "  we  must  haste  to  winter- 
quarters.  No  time  is  to  be  lost.  The  season  has  advanced 
more  rapidly  than  I  expected." 

"  But,  my  dear  young  friend,"  said  the  honest  skipper, 
"how  are  we  to  reach  the  land?  The  wind  is  falling,  and 
without  a  stiff  breeze  it  will  be  impossible  to  force  our  way 
through  these  masses  of  ice." 

"  We  must  tow  by  boats,  and  get  as  near  the  land  as  pos- 
sible," said  Henry,  thoughtfully. 


118  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

"  Go  below,  then,  and  arm  yourself,"  replied  the  captain, 
quietly.  "  Now  is  the  time  to  show  firmness  and  deter- 
mination." 

"  What  mean  you,  captain?"  asked  Henry,  anxiously. 

"  Williams  has  been  throwing  out  hints — I  understand 
them ;  and  it's  my  opinion  the  crew  will  not  winter  here  if 
they  can  help  it." 

Henry  looked  surprised,  but  went  below,  and,  as  advised, 
placed  a  pair  of  pistols  in  the  pockets  of  his  pea-jacket.  He 
then  came  on  deck. 

"  Out  with  the  jolly-boat,"  roared  the  skipper,  as  soon  as 
Henry  again  stood  beside  him. 

The  men  obeyed  quietly.  Henry  and  the  captain  exchanged 
significant  glances. 

The  boat  was  got  out — a  crew  of  nine  men  were  put  in  it — 
a  tow-line  was  fastened  to  it,  and  the  orders  given  to  tow  to 
the  westward.  At  this  juncture  Williams  walked  up  to  his 
superior  officers. 

"  I  don't  understand  this  here  hard-water  business  much, 
captain,"  said  he  ;  "  but  to  my  notion  we  am't  doing  any  good 
by  fetching  up  west.  It's  my  opinion,  that  with  this  here 
breeze  we  might  turn  tale  on  the  ice,  and  be  out  in  a  jiffy." 

"  Quite  possible,"  said  Captain  Shipton,  quietly  ;  "  but  both 
myself  and  Mr.  Maynard  desire  to  make  for  Hearne  Bay." 

"  What  for  ?  "  asked  Williams,  anxiously ;  "  why,  the  sea's 
a  freezin'  up,  and  there  ain't  no  chance  of  getting  out  if  yer 
don't  do  it  this  bout." 

"  Mr.  Williams,"  said  Henry,  mildly,  "  I  think  it  time  to 
inform  you  that  it  is  my  intention  to  winter  in  yonder  bay." 

"  Winter  !  "  roared  Williams,  actually  turning  pale, — 
"  winter  !  why  you're  mad.  Captain  Shipton,  are  you  a-going 
to  have  your  carcass  froze  up  by  this  young  mad-cap  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Henry  Maynard  is  owner  and  captain  of  this  ship," 
said  the  skipper,  mildly ;  "  I  am  but  his  servant,  and  what 
orders  he  gives  it  is  my  duty  to  obey." 


AIT   ADVENTURE   IN   THE   ARCTIC  REGIONS.  119 

"  I  take  no  orders  from  him ! "  exclaimed  Williams,  fiercely ; 
"  nor,  for  the  matter  of  that,  from  you,  if  you  are  mad." 

-.  "  Williams,"  said  Henry,  firmly,  "  no  mutiny,  if  you  please. 
I  should  be  sorry  to  use  force  or  violence,  but,  at  the  first  evi- 
dence of  insubordination,  I  shall  not  hesitate  to  act." 

Williams  muttered  something  between  his  teeth,  and  then 
retreated  to  the  forecastle,  as  if  giving  way  before  absolute 
necessity. 

Meanwhile  the  ship  made  but  Kttle  way.  The  boat,  though 
pulled  lustily  by  its  crew,  was  continually  impeded  by  the  float- 
ing ice,  which  drove  them  resolutely  to  the  southward.  As, 
however,  the  breeze  began  somewiiat  to  freshen,  their  pace 
slightly  increased,  and  at  last  it  was  found  necessary  to  call  in 
the  boat.  The  men  came  on  deck,  the  boat  was  hoisted  up, 
and  the  Fair  Fanny  labored  heavily  through  the  turgid  waters. 

Henry  and  Shipton,  much  encouraged  by  the  yielding  of 
Williams,  conversed  in  low  and  guarded  tones  of  their  plans. 

"  I  think  we  shall  make  the  land,"  said  Henry,  cheer- 
fully ;  "the  breeze  freshens  up.  In  an  hour  or  two  we  shall 
be  safe." 

"  Be  not  too  sure  ;  this  wind  is  the  last  spurt  of  the  gale, 
and  when  it  ends  we  shall  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  ice." 

"  Think  you  so  ?  Let  us  hope  for  better  things.  I  wonder 
how  the  men  will  really  take  the  matter." 

"  Well  enough  but  for  Williams,"  said  the  skipper,  gazing 
anxiously  at  the  heavens. 

After  the  lapse  of  about  an  hour,  the  wind  having  risen  to 
half  a  gale,  they  found  themselves  in  the  centre  of  a  large 
open  space  of  water  almost  wholly  without  ice,  though  ap- 
parently surrounded  on  all  sides  by  icebergs,  and  the  tossing, 
seething,  cracking  floes  that  poured  to  the  east  and  west  with 
a  dark  and  distant  roar.  The  wind,  which  was  from  the  north- 
east, was  bitter  in  the  extreme,  the  atmosphere  was  again  get- 
ting thick  and  hazy,  and  night  was  rapidly  coming  on.  A  few 
flakes  of  snow  also  were  noticed  falling  on  the  deck. 


120 


NOKTII   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 


It  was  evident  that  winter  was  about  to  declare  itself  sud- 
denly and  energetically.  The  ice-bound  pool  in  which  they 
found  themselves  was  tossed  by  the  waves — lashed  into  fury 
by  the  bitter  blast — while  every  now  and  then  a  stray  lump  of 


SCENE    IN   TIIE   AIICTIC   REGIONS. 


ice  would  come  thundering  against  the  bows,  turn  the  brig 
from  its  course,  and  shake  the  sails  so  effectually  as  to  cause 
her  to  lose  way. 

At  this  juncture,  the  whole  of  the  crew  were  seen  advancing 
with  Williams  and  Hulk  at  their  head. 


AN   ADVENTURE  IN   THE  ARCTIC   REGIONS.  121 

"  Be  firm,  my  friend,"  said  Henry,  clutcliing  his  pistols  in 
each  hand,  inside  his  pocket ;  "  the  crisis  is  come." 

The  skipper  imitated  his  example,  without  saying  a  word. 

"  Captain  Shipton,"  said  Williams,  halting  a  short  distance 
from  his  superior,  while  the  men  crowded  sullenly  behind  their 
spokesman,  "  Tve  had  a  bit  o'  talk  with  the  men,  and  they  say 
as  how  they  won't  venter  upon  this  here  churchyard  sea  no 
farther.  It  don't  stand  to  reason — ^no  how.  We're  all  willing 
to  do  our  duty — ^to  go  aloft,  reef  and  steer,  haul  aft  and  belay, 
fish,  and  what  not — but  we  won't  be  blocked  up  in  this  ice  for 
no  one.  Winter's  come  ;  there's  no  more  whales  to  be  found ; 
we've  got  a  fair  wind ;  so  let's  run  right  out  of  this  here 
ice " 

"  No  more,  Williams  ! "  exclaimed  Henry  ;  "  you  shipped 
aU  for  two  years.  ,  You  have  done  your  duty ;  I  must  do 
mine.  My  orders  are  to  winter  up  here,  so  as  to  start  in 
the  spring  and  try  and  reach  the  110th  degree  of  longitude. 
You  know  the  reward,  my  lads — five  thousand  pounds.  I 
want  none  of  it.  Do  but  second  me,  and  my  share  of  the 
prize  is  yours." 

One  of  the  men  gave  a  faint  "  hurrah ! "  which  was  fol- 
lowed up  by  two  or  three  others. 

"  Silence  ! "  roared  Williams  ;  "  all  this  is  gammon.  We 
ain't  going  to  reach  no  hundred  and  your  granny  of  longitude. 
Why,  the  hanimals  quits  these  parts  in  the  winter — the  bears 
and  the  wolves  cuts  away,  and  you  don't  tell  me  as  us  men 
can  live.  No.  So,  Captain  Shipton,  if  you  will  be  guided 
by  this  here  young  lunatic,  we  won't ;  speak  the  word  and  it's 
settled." 

"  What  do  you  require  of  me  ?  "  asked  Captain  Shipton, 
with  suppressed  passion. 

"  Turn  the  ship's  head  to  the  south — ^run  down  to  a  port 
in  Greenland,  where  we  can  spend  a  jolly  winter,  and  we'll 
come  back  in  the  spring  to  work.  If  not,  we've  decided  to  do 
it  ourselves." 

6 


122  NORTH  AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

"  WHat  say  you,  Mr.  Maynard  ?  "  replied  the  captain,  tum- 
ing  anxiously  to  Henry. 

"  That  the  man  who  shifts  a  sail,  or  steers  a  point  from 
the  western  course  I  have  given,  shall,  for  this  act  of  mutiny, 
receive  the  contents  of  one  of  these  pistols  in  his  head ! "  and 
Henry  slowly  raised  his  two  pistols  towards  Williams. 

"  Knock  him  down  ! "  roared  the  second  mate — ^himself, 
however,  retreating. 

"  Back,  every  man  of  you  ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  imi- 
tating the  example  of  Henry. 

The  crowd  of  sailors  held  back,  while  whispers  passed  from 
man  to  man.  Williams  retreated  behind  the  crowd,  and  tried 
to  induce  the  men  to  advance  ;  but  there  were  many  reasons 
that  caused  the  crew  to  hesitate.  In  the  first  place,  the  sight 
of  four  loaded  muzzles  rendered  the  task  a.  dangerous  one  ;  but 
the  chief  motive  was  the  respect  and  love  with  which  in  their 
hearts  they  regarded  their  two  chief  officers. 

"  A  precious  set  of  cowards,"  sneered  Williams  ;  "  a  cut- 
ting away  twenty  of  ye  before  a  boy  and  a  man  'cause  they 
got  a  pair  of  old  popguns." 

"  I  say.  Mister  Williams,  belay  that ;  no  more  a  coward 
nor  yourself,  do  ye  see  ?  But  barkers  ain't  popguns  ;  and  if 
as  so  you  like  them  playthings,  just  go  and  knock  'em  down 
yourself." 

"  Dolts — idiots  !  you'll  be  bunged  up  in  this  here  sea  like 
mummies  friz  in  a  hiceberg.  I  don't  want  no  one  to  harm  the 
youngster.  It's  for  his  good  as  well  as  ours  as  I  speaks,  do 
you  sec  ?  so  just  rush  in  and  disarm  'em." 

"  Mr.  Williams,"  said  Hulk,  "  I  tells  you  afore  that  ere's 
done  four  men  wUl  die.  Besides,  I  dare  say  they  knows  best, 
and  this  here  is  downright  mutiny ;  and  Jim  Hulk  ain't  in  his 
forty-seventh  year,  as  has  served  the  king  twenty,  to  turn 
toward  the  yard-arm.  Captain  Shipton,"  he  added,  turning, 
cap  in  hand,  despite  the  cold ;  "  I  axes  pardon,  and  if  as  how 
you'll  say  no  more  about  it.  Hulk's  your  man,  fore  and  aft." 


AN  ADVENTUKE  m  THE  ARCTIC  KEGIONS.     123 

"  Always  thought  you  a  good  man,  Hulk  ;  come  aft,  and  no 
more  shall  be  said  about  it.  Now,  then,  hear  my  last  words  : 
down  with  your  handspikes  there,  and  return  to  your  duty, 
lads  ;  and  the  last  man  shall  be  put  in  irons,  and  hanged  on 
his  return  to  England." 

The  crew  dispersed  like  magic  at  these  terrible  words,  and 
the  skipper,  turning  to  Henry,  lost  the  opportunity  of  seeing 
who  was  the  last  man.  From  that  minute  nothing  more  was 
heard  of  the  mutiny. 

"  You  see,  Mr.  Henry,"  said  the  skipper,  smiling,  "  all 
that  is  needed  is  a  little  firmness." 

^  "  It  is  the  secret  of  discipline,"  replied  our  hero,  much  re- 
lieved at  the  pacific  turn  affairs  had  taken. 

At  this  instant  the  wind  suddenly  ceased,  a  calm  stillness 
spread  through  the  air,  and  the  ship  was  tossed  at  the  mercy 
of  the  waves.  All  rushed  to  look  over  the  side,  but  it  was  so 
hazy  that  nothing  could  be  distinguished. 

Obedient  once  more  to  the  voice  of  their  officers,  the  men 
diligently  obeyed  the  orders  as  they  were  given.  The  sails 
were  furled,  lookouts  were  placed,  and  every  soul  on  board 
waited  with  deep  anxiety  the  next  sign  of  life  which  should  be 
given. 

There  was  a  duU  weight  in  the  atmosphere ;  the  waves 
rose  and  fell  with  a  long  and  sullen  swell ;  a  few  flakes  of  snow 
were  floated  against  the  face  at  every  motion  of  the  ship.  This 
motion  gradually  subsided,  the  stillness  became  fearful,  and 
then  a  roar  as  of  artillery  was  heard,  with  a  simultaneous 
flash  of  sheet  lio^htnino". 

The  ship  quivered,  rocked  from  side  to  side,  pitched,  rolled, 
and  then  all  was  motionless — sea,  air,  water,  brig,  and  for  an 
instant  the  very  breath  of  those  who  were  deeply  interested 
spectators  of  all  that  was  passing  around. 

"  We  are  frozen  in,"  said  Henry  in  a  low,  hushed  voice, 
as  of  one  under  the  influence  of  a  solemn  and  extraordinary 
event. 


124:  NOETH   AND  SOUTH   AMERICA. 

"  "We  are,"  replied  Shipton,  with  a  sigh,  "  and  at  least  ten 
miles  from  the  land." 

"  It  cannot  be  helped,"  said  our  hero,  calmly.  "  Provi- 
dence watches  over  us,  and  we  must  do  our  best.  Perhaps 
we  are  not  finally  frozen  in,  and  may  make  way  to-morrow." 

Williams  came  sullenly  up,  and  asked  what  was  to  be  done. 

"  Wait  until  morning,"  said  Henry,  sternly,  "  and  if  the 
ice  does  not  break,  bring  down  the  sails  and  topmasts.  The 
sails  will  make  an  awning  for  the  deck." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  replied  Williams,  who  thought  it  wise  to 
conceal  his  mortification  ajid  anger. 

The  night  was  bitterly  cold — snow  fell  heavily ;  and  so 
rapid  was  the  progress  of  the  freezing  power  of  the  atmosphere, 
that  before  daybreak  the  ice  was  six  inches  thick  round  the 
brig,  which  was  firmly  embedded  in  its  surface. 

When  the  short  day  now  left  to  them  had  begun,  all  saw 
that  their  fate  was  sealed  for  the  next  nine  months.  They 
were  irrevocably  locked  up  by  the  iron  grasp  of  a  frost,  which 
added  inches  in  thickness  every  hour  to  the  hard  surface  of  the 
water. 

Immediate  steps  were  taken  to  provide  against  the  terrible 
inclemency  of  the  season  in  this  high  and  dreary  latitude, 
where  so  many  men  have  been  tempted  by  a  zeal  that  might 
certainly  have  led  to  happier  and  greater  results.  The  yards, 
masts,  and  sails  were  taken  down  ;  a  sloping  awning  of  planks 
and  sails  was  made  the  whole  length  of  the  ship  ;  every  aper- 
ture was  blocked  up  ;  the  deck  was  covered  by  a  coat  of  sand, 
and  every  possible  provision  w^s  made  for  the  health  and  com- 
fort of  the  crew  as  far  as  could  be  done  on  board  a  merchant 
ship. 

It  was  now  that  the  previous  studies  of  our  hero  became 
valuable,  and  that  the  skipper  learned  to  appreciate  his  many 
wise  precautions  for  the  winter — ^precautions  suggested  by  the 
failures  and  misfortunes  of  others. 

The  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  was  far  below  zero,  and 


AJS"  ADVENTUEE  m   THE  AECTIO  REGIONS.     125 

the  condensation  of  the  steam  made  it  necessary  to  promote  a 
systematic  arrangement  with  regard  to  ventilation. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  old  sea  watches  should  be  done 
away  with,  that  all  should  rise  at  the  same  hour  and  go  to  bed 
together.  During  the  day  large  fires  were  kept  both  in  the 
cabin  and  in  the  forecastle,  while  oil  lamps  burned  in  every 
part  of  the  ship  to  prevent  dampness.  The  fires  were  allowed 
to  go  out  when  all  the  men  were  in  bed,  the  lamps  then  only 
diffusing  warmth.  This  arose  from  the  fact  that  coals  were 
scarcer  than  oil. 

A  considerable  quantity  of  extra  clothing,  warm  flannels, 
mittens,  and  other  articles,  were  served  out  to  the  crew. 
Regular  arrangements  were  then  entered  into  for  the  long  and 
dreary  winter. 

They  rose  at  eight,  the  fires  were  lit,  breakfast  given  out, 
and  then  all  dispersed  until  twelve,  to  amuse  themselves  as 
they  thought  proper.  Some  made  their  way  across  the  snow, 
which  soon  left  no  distinction  between  land  and  sea,  to  a  high 
point  which  they  knew  marked  the  first  jet  of  land,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  game — a  hope  not  very  often  realized  ;  others 
got  up  running  matches  on  the  snow,  until  twelve  o'clock, 
when  dinner  was  announced.  In  the  evening  they  congregated 
round  a  large  fire,  which  was  placed  in  a  stove  amidships,  and 
amused  themselves  each  man  according  to  his  own  fancy. 
Henry  studied  his  books  of  modern  travel ;  the  captain  joined 
him,  and  obtained  as  much  information  on  the  point  as  possi- 
ble. Williams — who  had  given  up  all  idea  of  mutiny  for  the 
present,  from  the  simple  fact  that  mutiny  was  now  useless — 
told  long-winded  yarns  to  the  men,  who,  after  a  short  time, 
were  as  merry  as  under  the  circumstances  could  be  ex- 
pected. Provisions  and  comforts  generally  were  abundant, 
and  any  wrath  that  might  have  been  felt  was  studiously 
concealed. 

And  thus  the  winter  wore  on — even  the  night  of  three 
months'  duration — without  any  inconvenience  or  murmuring, 


126  NOETH   AND   SOTJTn  AMEEICA. 

save  when  the  scurvy  broke  out  slightly — a  malady,  however, 
quickly  repressed  by  the  exertions  of  our  learned  hero. 

In  imitation  of  others,  they  also  invented  amusements,  and 
even  got  up  on  Christmas  eve  a  sort  of  burlesque  play,  which 
caused  much  mirth,  and  which,  being  followed  by  extra  cheer 
on  that  ever-memorable  occasion,  was  exceedingly  gratifying 
to  the  crew. 

Several  hunting  expeditions  were  organized,  but  they  rarely 
produced  any  other  result  than  a  contest  with  a  bear,  many  of 
which  animals  were  attracted  by  their  keen  sense  of  smeU  into 
dangerous  proximity  with  £he  vessel. 

The  phenomena  of  the  winter  were  many,  but  other  and 
better  opportunities  will  occur  of  describing  them  during  the 
progress  of  our  strange  and  eventful  history. 

The  long  night  of  nearly  four  months,  the  vivid  corusca- 
tions of  the  Aurora  Borealis,  the  death-like  stillness  of  nature, 
the  welcome  reappearance  of  the  sun,  are  subjects  with  which 
most  readers  are  now  pretty  well  acquainted. 

The  winter  passed  without  accident,  and  the  month  of  May 
came,  and  the  sun  showed  some  slight  sign  of  warmth.  At 
the  height  of  its  power  it  thawed  some  snow  on  the  housing 
of  the  tent — and  yet  the  thermometer-was  still  at  zero — ^for 
the  first  time  for  eight  months  that  it  had  been  so  temperate. 
This  was  comparative  summer  to  the  weary  crew,  for  though 
the  snow  was  deep,  and  the  air  chill,  yet  the  snow  was  softer 
than  before  ;  and  in  comparison  with  the  depth  of  winter  and 
its  biting  blasts,  the  air  was  balmy. 

Advantage  of  this  state  of  things  was  now  taken  to  start 
an  expedition  toward  the  nearest  land.  A  sledge  was  loaded 
with  provisions  ;  half  a  dozen  of  the  best  men,  with  Hulk  and 
Henry,  engaged  themselves  on  the  ice,  but  they  speedily  found 
that  they  had  selected  rather  a  bad  time  for  their  adventurous 
journey.  They  lost  themselves  about  the  middle  of  the  first 
day,  in  a  dense  fog,  and  after  wandering  about  for  nearly 
twelve  hours,  were  so  utterly  exhausted  as  to  huddle  together 
for  warmth,  almost  careless  of  what  followed. 


AN  ADVENTURE   IN  THE  ARCTIC   REGIONS.  127 

They  had  met  with  jagged  lumps  of  ice,  covered  by  soft 
snow  ;  they  had  to  leap  from  lump  to  lump,  sometimes  across 
fissures  at  the  bottom  of  which  the  water  bubbled  up,  and  on 
one  or  two  occasions  they  had  to  save  some  unfortunate  mem- 
ber of  their  party  at  the  peril  of  their  own  lives. 

Hulk  got  a  thorough  ducking,  and  was  scarcely  able  to  move. 

About  midnight,  however,  the  frost  resunlfed  its  strength, 
and  it  was  determined  to  erect  a  snow  hut.  They  had  a  spade 
with  them,  which  the  men  proceeded  to  use  in  turns ;  and 
great  was  considered  the  favor  of  being  the  one  in  possession 
of  this  utensil,  as  it  promoted  warmth.  A  huge  pile  of  hard 
snow  was  found,  and  they  proceeded  to  dig  into  this.  It  was 
very  solid  and  hard,  so  that  they  dug  out  square  blocks,  which 
they  erected  into  a  wall,  and  in  about  an  hour  had  a  hut  suffi- 
ciently large  for  all  of  them  to  sit  round  a  small  fire,  the 
smoke  of  which  passed  out  of  a  hole  made  for  the  purpose. 

A  plentiful  supply  of  biscuit  and  tea  was  now  served  out, 
which  set  all  in  good  humor,  especially  when  Henry  further 
consented  to  the  men  indulging  in  the  favorite  luxury  of  a 
sailor — a  pipe. 

They  then  closed  the  aperture  by  which  the  smoke  had 
been  allowed  to  go  forth,  and  drawing  their  blankets  over 
them,  slept  soundly.  In  the  morning  they  awoke,  and  though 
they  began  to  feel  very  cold,  were  unharmed.  The  difficulties 
of  their  situation,  however,  were  such  that  they  determined 
at  once  to  return  to  the  ship,  and  wait  a  more  favorable  op- 
portunity. 

This  was  done,  though  not  without  some  trouble,  as  the 
real  situation  of  the  brig  was  not  discovered  without  delay  and 
wandering.  It  was  finally,  however,  accomplished,  to  the 
general  satisfaction  of  all. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  June,  a  strong  gale  from 
the  north,  and  a  heavy  snowdrift,  seemed  to  threaten  unusual 
duration  to  the  winter.  Frost  came  in  again  with  extreme 
severity,  and  the  snow  was  once  more  as  hard  as  ever. 


128  NOETH  AND   SOUTH  AMERICA. 

Another  expedition  was  attempted  toward  some  remark- 
able hills  which  lay  in  a  westerly  direction,  but  without  any 
more  good  fortune  than  the  first  instance.  Another  kind  of 
experiment  was  then  determined  on. 

Tracks  of  reindeer  and  musk  oxen  were  now  often  seen 
upon  the  snow,  and  it  was  determined  to  use  the  last  week  of 
winter  to  lay  in  as  good  a  stock  of  game  as  possible.  A  hunt- 
ing party  was  then  organized  to  follow  the  marked  track  of 
animals  which  had  been  found.  They  were  from  the  land, 
seaward,  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  an  island  usually  fre- 
quented by  these  animals  was  at  no  great  distance. 

Henry,  with  four  of  the  best  shots  on  board,  Hulk  and 
Williams  also  joining  in,  formed  the  party.  They  were  armed 
with  guns  loaded  by  heavy  shot,  while  each  man  carried  in  his 
belt  pistols  and  a  small  axe,  by  way  of  protectioji  against 
more  dangerous  game  in  the  shape  of  wolves. 

A  flask  of  powder,  and  one  of  rum,  completed  each  man's 
equipment ;  a  sledge  being  provided  to  load  with  game,  in  case 
they  should  be  fortunate  enough  to  fall  in  with  any. 

They  started  at  early  dawn  in  high  spirits.  There  was  the 
hope  of  an  exciting  chase,  and  then,  in  a  few  days,  freedom 
from  their  monotonous  position,  and  liberty  once  more  to  sail 
along  the  waters  of  the  boiling  ocean. 

It  became,  therefore,  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  have 
a  stock  of  fresh  food,  which  might  vary  the  eternal  and  un- 
wholesome salt  provisions,  which  all  were  so  anxious  to  get 
rid  of.  The  chase  itself,  too,  was  one  of  those  occupations 
for  idle  hours  which  men  generally  gladly  welcome. 

The  morning  was  cold.  A  hard  frost  made  the  ground 
pleasant  to  walk  on.  There  was  scarcely  any  wind  to  drive 
up  the  loose  snow  from  gullies'and  heaps,  the  track  of  the  deer 
was  clear  and  marked,  and  away  they  went  merrily  and  cheer- 
fully over  the  vast  white  plain. 

The  sky  was  clear  and  blue,  and  the  eye  could  glance  over 
a  vast  expanse  of  ground ;  so  that  it  was  altogether  a  cheering 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  AECTIC   REGIONS.  129 

and  hopeful  day,  though  to  some  it  was  to  prove  the  most  fatal 
and  fearful  of  their  existence.  But  none  knew  fear  or  doubt, 
and  none  more  jolly  than  our  party  of  hunters  on  that  cold 
and  bitter  morning. 

They  did  not  march  close  together,  but  scattered  them- 
selves over  a  line  about  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  the  man  with  the 
sledge  keeping  the  middle.  Every  now  and  then  they  hailed 
each  other  to  see  that  aU  was  right,  and  that  none  of  the  party 
were  straying  too  far. 

After  advancing  about  five  miles — they  had  a  small  com- 
pass with  them — they  found  the  plain  change  in  appearance. 
The  track  was  found  to  trend  in  an  easterly  direction,  through 
a  plain  of  a  very  rough  character.  Large  pieces  of  ice,  cast 
up  from  the  sea  during  the  tossing  of  the  floes,  had  formed  an 
irregular  collection  of  rocks,  which  the  wind  in  many  places 
had  stripped  of  snow.  A  halt  took  place,  and  then  it  was 
agreed  that  the  sledge  should  be  left  on  the  edge  of  this  wild 
icy  pUe  of  hills  and  valleys,  while  the  hunters  should  advance 
with  caution,  there  being  very  recent  tracks  on  the  little  snow 
that  was  left  in  certain  hollows. 

"  Hillo  !  a  bear  has  been  here  too  !  "-said  one  of  the  sailors, 
pointing  to  the  mark  of  his  paws. 

All  looked  around  with  a  startled  air,  expecting  to  sec  the 
animal  darting  from  behind  some  icy  concealment. 

And  yet,  after  the  first  moment  of  surprise,  there  was  not 
one  who  would  not  have  welcomed  the  animal  as  a  boon.  A 
halt  was  held  for  an  instant,  and  then  it  was  resolved  to  pursue 
their  course  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

"  Keep  a  sharp  lookout,  lads,"  said  Henry,  darting  up  a 
rugged  path  between  two  jagged  pillars  of  ice  that  stood  like 
the  ruins  of  an  antique  temple,  dashed  and  broken  by  time. 

Standing  stiU  a  minute,  Henry,  from  a  little  height  he  had 

gained,  looked  onward.     As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  was  a 

vast  and  illimitable  plain,  white,  flat,  dazzling  to  the  eye,  save 

in  the  northeast,  where  seemed  to  rise  a  peak  of  rather  lofty 

6* 


130  NORTH  AND   SOUTH    AMEEICA. 

dimensions,  which  Henry  at  once  thought  must  be  the  island 
toward  which  the  reindeer  and  other  animals  were,  making 
their  way,  and  thither  he  at  once  determined  to  make  his  way. 

Between  this  object  and  where  he  stood,  at  a  distance  of 
about  a  mile,  was  something  black  and  dark,  which  might  be 
a  bear,  or  an  ox,  or  a  pack  of  wolves  devouring  some  prey 
they  had  overtaken. 

"  Come  on  my  hearties,"  said  Henry,  making  a  dash  in  the 
direction  of  the  game  ;  "  come  on  ;  here  is  game  for  the  bold." 

Henry  ran,  as  he  thought,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  with- 
out stopping.  He  then  suddenly  halted,  as  the  whole  scene 
was  wrapped,  as  if  by  magic,  in  darkness,  and  he  was  covered 
in  an  instant  with  snow.  Henry  stood  still,  dazzled,  confound- 
ed, and  not  knowing  what  to  do.  Then  the  snow  ceased,  the 
air  cleared  up  again,  and  all  was  as  before,  save  that  not  a 
sign  could  he  anywhere  see  of  his  companions,  while  not  a 
trace  was  left  of  his  own  footsteps  to  tell  in  what  direction  he 
had  come. 

And  Williams  carried  the  compass  ! 

There  was  a  pang  at  his  heart  a  minute,  and  then  he  re- 
flected calmly.  He  knew  pretty  well  the  direction  of  the  ship, 
and  he.  saw  before  him  the  vast,  irregular  plain  of  jagged  ice, 
on  the  outer  side  of  which  he  had  parted  from  his  companions. 
He  at  once,  therefore,  turned  back.  He  did  not,  however, 
advance  with  the  same  rapidity  which  had  characterized  his 
former  run.  The  snow  which  had  fallen  had  been  slightly 
mixed  with  rain,  a  certain  indication  that  the  breaking  up  of 
the  ice  was  at  hand.  Henry  hurried  on,  however,  for  some 
time,  and  yet  appeared  no  nearer  to  the  hummocks  than  at 
first.  This  puzzled  him  very  much,  and  be  looked  back  in 
search  of  the  peak. 

It  was  not  behind  him  ;  it  was  at  his  side. 

"  Merciful  Heaven  ! "  he  cried,  "  I  have  then  come  wrong." 

For  an  instant  he  was  nearly  transfixed  with  horror  and 
astonishment ;  but  knowing  well  the  importance  of  rapidity  of 


AN   ADVENTURE  IN  THE   AECTTC   REGIONS.  131 

action,  he  took  once  more  what  appeared  to  be  the  right  direc- 
tion. At  this  instant  a  bird  rose,  flapping  its  wings.  It  was 
a  ptarmagan.  With  the  double  view  of  securing  some  game 
and  of  calling  the  attention  of  his  fellows,  Henry  fired. 

The  bird  fell  fluttering  about  twenty  yards  from  his  feet. 
He  secured  it,  put  it  in  his  bag,  and  continued  his  journey 
without  reloading,  so  wild  were  beginning  to  be  his  thoughts. 

Alone  on  that  terrible  sea,  miles  away  from  land,  no  guide 
to  tell  him  which  way  to  go — the  heavens  were  now  obscured 
and  dark — the  season  so  far  advanced  that  the  ice  might  break 
up  and  scatter — ^himself  unprovided  with  food — ^his  companions 
totally  unaware  of  his  real  position,  Henry  felt  that  his  sole 
dependence  was  in  God ;  and  his  lips  earnestly  whispered  a 
prayer  to  Him  who  alone,  he  felt,  could  save  him. 

A  growl  startled  him.  About  fifty  yards  in  advance  was 
a  huge  bear,  coming  slowly  on.  Henry  stood  still,  loaded  his 
gun  deliberately,  and  awaited  the  coming  of  the  savage  mon- 
ster, which  advanced  as  if  certain  of  its  prey. 


r^ 


THE   POLAR   BEAR. 


It  was  a  large  white  bear,  one  of  immense  size,  an  animal 
which  probably  weighed  nearly  a  ton.    Some  of  these  creatures 


132  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

present  the  appearance  of  a  small  elephant  in  bulk,  though 
they  stand  so  much  shorter  on  the  legs,  and  have  long,  low 
necks. 

Henry,  whose  mind  was  braced  up  by  the  consciousness  of 
his  severe  peril,  felt  no  alarm  in  relation  to  the  bear.  He 
cocked  his  gun,  and  stood.  The  bear  came  on,  on  four  paws, 
until  he  was  within  twenty  yards,  when  he  rose  on  his  hind 
legs,  gave  a  fearful  growl,  and  then  a  yell  of  terrible  anguish, 
as  he  sank  on  the  snow. 

Henry  had  fired  deliberately  and  calmly,  and  had  hit  his 
right  hand  paw,  and  so  effectually  as  to  lame  him.  The  bear, 
however,  came  limping  on  at  a  very  slow  pace,  growling  and 
yelling  in  a  horrible  manner. 

Henry  fired  both  pistols  when  the  bear  was  close  to  him, 
and  then  ran,  leaving  the  animal  quite  incapable  of  follow- 
ing him. 

At  the  end  of  a  hundred  yards  he  turned.  The  bear  was 
slowly,  and  but  very  slowly,  following  him  up. 

Henry  Maynard  was  now  too  experienced  in  the  character 
of  the  polar  regions  not  to  be  well  aware  that  night,  which 
still  prevailed  for  some  few  days  longer,  was  rapidly  coming 
on.  He  therefore  hastened  to  gain  the  summit  of  a  small  hill 
of  ice,  and  to  look  round  the  horizon,  in  the  faint  hopes  of  dis- 
covering some  sign  of  the  ship. 

He  looked  round,  right  round  ;  north,  south,  east,  west,  in 
every  direction — nothing.  Neither  his  companions  nor  that 
old  brig,  which,  under  present  circumstances,  was  Paradise 
itself,  could  be  seen. 

Henry  clasped  his  hands  in  agony,  and  then  muttered  a 
prayer,  though  scarcely  able  to  collect  his  thoughts  sufficiently 
to  find  words. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  Night  was  rapidly  coming  on,  and 
in  a  moment  nothing  could  be  seen.  What  was  he  to  do  ? 
Which  way  should  he  go  ? 

His  mind  almost  wandering,  he  ran  up  and  down,  hither 


AN   ADVENTURE  IN  THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS.  133 

and  thither,  in  the  desperate  hope  of  finding  a  track  left  by 
some  of  his  comrades,  and  was  about  wholly  to  despair,  when 
the  sledge  met  his  view.  It  was  where  they  left  it,  and  there, 
at  no  great  distance,  were  the  pillars  of  ice  between  which  he 
had  passed. 

His  heart  bounded  with  delight,  and  as  thankful  a  prayer 
as  ever  burst  from  man's  heart  went  up  unchecked  to  Heaven. 

And  yet  there  was  no  track — ^the  sledge  itself  was  almost 
covered  by  snow — and  he  did  not  know  in  what  direction  to 
point  his  footsteps. 

He  determined,  therefore,  to  seek  some  place  where  to  pass 
the  night.  When  on  expeditions,  he  had,  with  the  sailors, 
often  erected  huts  of  ice  and  snow ;  but  alone  he  felt  himself 
unequal  to  this  task.  He  looked  about,  therefore,  and  pres- 
ently saw,  close  at  hand,  a  kind  of  hollow,  formed  by  the  acci- 
dental upheaving  of  two  vast  lumps  of  ice,  which  leaned 
against  each  other. 

A  hollow  space  about  seven  feet  high,  and  as  many  broad, 
had  been  left,  and  into  this  Henry  was  about  to  venture,  when 
he  saw  evident  signs  of  its  having  been  inhabited.  It  was 
doubtless  the  haunt  of  the  wounded  bear. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  discharge  a  pistol  into  its  dark  re- 
cesses— ^he  did  so  ;  but  when  the  echoes  had  died  away  all  was 
still  and  silent  as  the  grave.  He  therefore  entered  and  groped 
about,  but  was  very  much  startled  to  find  the  place  strewed 
with  bones.  He  felt  convinced  that  his  first  surmise  was  right, 
and  contemplated  with  no  small  dread  the  return  of  the  savage 
brute  to  his  den. 

Naturally  much  alarmed,  he  drew  the  sledge  up  to  the 
cavern,  stood  it  on  end,  and  leaned  it  against  the  entrance. 
Against  this  he  piled  up  several  loose  pieces  of  ice,  and  after 
half  an  hour's  hard  work,  blocked  up  hfs  retreat,  so  that,  save 
through  a  small  hole,  it  could  not  be  entered. 

In  half  an  hour  more  it  was  all  as  hard  as  rock.  Then 
Henry  crept  into  his  singular  cell,  where,  by  contrast  with  the 


134:  NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

outer  atmosphere,  he  was  warm.  He  took  a  draught  of  rum, 
and  then  lit  a  torch,  which  they  all  always  carried  with  them 
in  case  of  being  delayed  at  night  or  of  being  lost. 

The  cave  was  about  six  yards  deep,  and  the  bones  of  va- 
rious animals,  which  could  now  by  the  torch  be  clearly  seen, 
showed  that  the  bear  had  made  it  his  halting  place  for  some 
days.  Henry  at  once  loaded  his  pistols  and  gun,  placed  his 
hatchet  close  at  hand,  and  then  closing  up  the  aperture  by 
which  he  had  crept  in,  with  his  bag,  laid  himself  down  to  rest, 
after  roasting  in  the  flame  of  his  pine -torch  a  portion  of  the 
bird,  which,  with  a  hard  biscuit,  he  eagerly  devoured. 

He  was  not  very  alarmed.  He  knew  that  he  was  not  more 
than  six  miles  from  the  ship  ;  he  knew  that  his  companions, 
beaten  back  by  fear  of  the  storm,  or  even  still  wandering, 
would  soon  announce  his  position  to  the  captain,  and  that  ex- 
ploring parties  would  be  sent  out  to  find  him.  He  even  him- 
self could  in  the  morning  find  his  way  to  the  ship. 

For  some  time  naturally  his  mind  was  tortured  and  racked 
by  conflicting  thoughts,  by  those  unnamed  dreads  which  come 
over  the  soul  when  something — it  knows  not  what — is  to  be 
feared. 

At  last,  however,  he  fell  soundly  asleep,  and  slept  he  knew 
not  how  long. 

He  was  awaked  by  a  whining  howl.  He  was  in  the  dark, 
and  a  strange  scratching  noise  was  heard  outside,  accompanied 
by  something  between  a  bark  and  a  whine. 

Henry  knew  it  at  once  to  be  a  polar  wolf ;  and  poking  the 
end  of  a  pistol  between  the  sledge  and  the  game-bag,  he  fired. 
A  sharp  howl  folio Aved,  aud  then  there  was  stillness  again. 

At  this  moment  a  roar  like  that  of  thunder  was  heard. 
Henry,  who  knew  what  it  meant,  dashed  down  the  sledge, 
reckless  of  all  consequences,  and  sprang  out.  The  noise  was 
repeated  in  all  directions. 

It  was  the  first  day  of  summer.  The  ice  was  breaking  up 
in  every  direction. 


AN  ADVENTUKE  IN  THE  AECTIC  EEGIONS.     135 

Jets  of  water  spouted  up  ;  the  huge  mass  of  ice  on  which 
Henry  stood  rocked  and  swayed  to  and  fro,  as  if  about  to  turn 
upside  down,  and  then  began  moving  rapidly  onward,  whirling 
round  aU  the  time. 

At  this  instant  Henry  caught  sight  of  the  distant  sails  of 
his  ship.  They  had,  then,  utterly  given  him  up,  for  they  were 
hoisting  up  the  yards  and  setting  the  sails.  The  sun,  which 
rose  warm  and  bright,  was  melting  the  snow  with  singular 
rapidity ;  the  wind  was  balmy  and  sweet,  and  came  across  the 
moving  plain  with  increasing  force  every  moment. 

All  hope  was  gone.  He  felt  it,  and  yet  he  clung  to  life 
with  all  the  desperate  energy  of  a  dying  man. 

The  cave  remained  intact.  The  lumps  of  ice  which  formed 
it  had  grown  into  a  solid  mass  of  some  extent.  The  iceberg 
thus  formed  was  about  fifty  feet  long  and  thirty  wide,  forming 
a  small  raft,  which  swayed  to  and  fro  as  it  came  in  contact 
with  the  breaking  masses  around. 

Every  now  and  then  reports  like  thunder  showed  that  the 
ice-fields  were  breaking  up  stiU  more  every  minute.  There 
was  a  rapid  tide,  a  current  which  brought  down  the  breaking 
masses  upon  the  iceberg  with  singular  rapidity ;  they  were 
hurled  against  one  another  with  a  noise  like  thunder — ^huge 
lumps  broke  off,  and  falling,  some  on  the  large  floating  mass 
which  supported  Henry,  menaced  to  upset  it. 

For  some  time  this  strange  raft  kept  on  in  a  southeasterly 
direction,  turning  on  itself  at  every  hundred  yards.  It  was  all 
this  time  in  sight  of  the  Fair  Fanny,  which,  however,  at  the 
end  of  an  hour,  was  under  full  sail,  trying  to  force  its  way  to 
the  north. 

Henry's  heart  beat  high.  They  had  not  given  up  all  hope 
of  finding  him. 

At  this  instant  the  iceberg  whirled  round  as  if  it  had  been 
spinning,  and  our  hero  was  cast  to  the  ground  by  the  shock. 
When  he  arose  he  found  himself  being  carried  rapidly  in  a 
northeasterly  direction.     He  had  evidently  met  with  a  power- 


136  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

ful  current,  which  was  driving  him  to  the  very  heart  of  the 
Arctic  regions. 

The  ship  was  now  scarcely  to  be  seen.  It  appeared  so  im- 
peded in  its  progress  by  the  ice  as  scarcely  to  move. 

Henry  therefore  gave  up  all  hope  of  immediate  assistance 
in  this  direction.  He  looked  then  about  him  to  find  what  were 
his  immediate  prospects  of  escape  from  death. 

Around  were  huge  piles  of  ice  cracking,  dashing,  leaping, 
breaking  in  all  directions  ;  while  the  huge  lump  on  which  he 
floated  did  not  seem  very  safe  or  steady.  His  gun,  his  pistols, 
his  game-bag,  and  his  sledge,  were  all  that  were  left  to  him 
at  that  moment  in  this  world,  while  he  was  being  hurried  he 
knew  not  whither. 

Presently  he  noticed  that  another  stream  of  ice  was  coming 
down  in  an  opposite  direction,  and  as  he  remarked  that  he  was 
hurrying  in  the  direction  of  the  peak,  he  conceived  that  a  cur- 
rent came  round  that  mountain,  went  onwards  a  certain  dis- 
tance, and,  then  meeting  that  from  Lancaster  Sound,  was 
driven  back  to  the  other  side  of  the  island. 

The  hope  of  Henry's  heart  was  now  centred  upon  that 
desolate  hill,  which  was  not  more  than  six  miles  distant. 

He  saw  at  once  that  he  was  being  carried  in  a  direction 
that  promised  to  bring  him  to  the  hoped-for  haven ;  but  he 
was  too  well  acquainted  with  the  rapid  changes  so  common  in 
those  seas  to  feel  any  confidence  or  certainty  on  the  subject. 
He  movM,  according  to  his  calculation,  at  the  rate  of  about 
three  miles  an  hour — a  rate  which  would,  if  it  continued,  bring 
him  to  the  end  of  his  journey  before  night. 

The  great  danger  was,  of  meeting  another  curi'ent,  and 
being  carried  away  to  the  east  or  west,  in  which  case  his  peril 
would  be  great ;  in  fact  he  felt  that,  if  he  did  not  succeed  in 
making  the  island  of  the  Peak,  he  was  hopelessly  lost. 

Clutching  his  gun,  he  as  much  as  possible  used  it  as  a  pole 
to  impel  his  raft  slightly  to  the  eastward  ;  and  he  had  the  satis- 
faction, after  about  an  hour's  hard  labor,  to  see  himself  within 


AN  ADVENTTJEE   IN  THE  AECTIC   REGIONS.  13T 

a  moderate  distance  of  the  hill  on  which  now  his  eyes  were 
steadily  fixed. 

His  journey  was  not  without  constant  peril — a  peril  pres- 
ently much  increased  by  the  dangerous  propinquity  of  a  huge 
iceberg,  the  shape  and  form  of  which  seemed  familiar. 

Apparently  more  within  the  force  of  the  northern  current, 
it  had  been  more  than  a  mile  behind  him,  and  now  came  rush- 
ing do^vn  upon  him  with  alarming  rapidity ;  while,  to  add  to 
his  discomfort  and  uneasiness,  he  could  distinctly  see,  on  its 
extreme  edge,  the  bear  he  had  met  the  previous  day,  crouch- 
ing as  if  ready  to  dart  upon  him.  On  it  came,  crashing 
against  all  minor  obstacles,  shaking  and  threatening  to  upset 
at  every  moment,  but  clearly  less  deep  in  the  water  than  that 
which  supported  our  forlorn  and  almost  exhausted  hero. 

At  length  it  came  close,  and  a  collision  was  inevitable. 
Henry  clutched  his  gun,  and  made  ready  for  a  spring,  as  he 
expected  his  own  raft  to  be  upset  or  knocked  to  pieces.  He 
determined  the  more  readily  to  exchange  positions,  as,  on  a 
near  approach,  it  was  quite  clear  that  the  bear  was  incapable 
of  harming  him,  it  being  quite  dead,  or,. at  all  events,  at  the 
very  last  gasp. 

The  icebergs  met ;  the  smaller  one  grated,  crashed,  and 
then  shivered  into  fifty  pieces,  just  as  Henry,  by  a  desperate 
leap,  gained  a  footing  on  the  huge  mountain  alongside  the  bear. 
The  pile  of  congealed  water  rocked  violently,  and  then  steady- 
ing itself,  pursued  its  onward  course. 

The  island  was  now  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  dis- 
tant, and  Henry  could  clearly  perceive  a  small  bay  at  the  foot 
of  the  Peak,  into  which  he  would  gladly  have  guided  his  raft. 
But  this  was  beyond  his  power,  for  the  iceberg  kept  steadily 
on  its  way,  and  if  it  did  not  pass  the  island,  would  certainly 
not  enter  the  sheltered  cove,  which  to  Henry  was  the  haven 
of  all  present  hopes. 

Close  to  the^hore  of  the  island  there  was  a  smaU  collection 
of  packed  ice,  and  against  this  the  perpendicular  side  of  the 


138  NOETH   AND   SOUTH  AMEEICA. 

iceberg,  on  the  edge  of  whicli  was  the  bear,  appeared  about  to 
strike.  Henry  kneeled  down  and  prepared  for  the  collision. 
It  took  place,  however,  with  great  gentleness  ;  the  hill  shook, 
and  then  was  quite  stationary.  Henry  rose  to  his  feet,  and 
aware  of  the  great  value  of  his  prize,  proceeded  to  make  sure 
of  the  bear.  By  great  good  fortune  the  animal,  having  ad- 
vanced to  the  extreme  edge  of  the  cliff — a  last  effort  to  jump 
into  the  water  to  swim — lay  so  that  it  could  be  pushed.  Henry 
made,  therefore,  a  desperate  effort ;  the  body  moved,  slid,  and 
went  away  to  the  very  shore,  carrying  a  large  mass  of  ice  with 
it  which  was  detached  by  his  weight. 

Henry  then  crawled  down  a  less  perpendicular  part  of  the 
berg,  and  leaping  across  the  packed  ice,  was  in  five  minutes 
more  on  the  shores  of  the  island,  to  which  he  had  looked  with 

so  much  anxiety  all  that  day. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

On  board  the  brig,  to  which  the  whole  hunting  party  had 
returned  in  safety,  the  deepest  anxiety  was  felt.  Captain 
Shipton,  when  the  disaster  was  known,  though  nearly  mad 
with  grief,  and  fearful  in  the  extreme  as  to  the  result,  acted 
with  prudence  and  firmness.  Guns  were  fired  every  quarter 
of  an  hour  during  the  night,  while  it  was  determined  that  at 
daybreak  a  new  expedition  should  go  forth  in  search  of  the 
lost  one.  When,  however,  the  ice  broke  in  the  inorning,  the 
skipper  felt  that  all  human  probability  was  against  his  young 
master  being  still  alive,  and  yet  he  determined  to  do  his  duty. 

As  soon  as  the  brig  could  be  got  under  weigh,  despite  the 
terrible  perils  of  the  situation,  she  was  pressed  under  heavy 
canvas  towards  the  north,  and  still  every  quarter  of  an  hour 
guns  were  fired,  Henry  not  having  heard,  which  must  be  as- 
cribed to  some  peculiar  state  of  the  atmosphere  at  that 
moment. 

With  so  well-constituted  a  mind  as  that  which  early  nurture 
had  given  to  Henry  Maynard,  the  first  impulse  X)n  reaching  land 
was  to  return  humble  and  hearty  thanks  to  God  for  the  great 


AN  ADVENTUEE   IN  THE   AECTIO  REGIONS.  139 

mercy  by  which  he  had  beeu  saved  from  a  terrible  and  fearful 
death — to  which,  indeed,  he  had  been  so  near,  that  it  took 
some  time  for  his  mind  to  be  fully  convinced  of  the  reality  of 
escape.  As  he  knelt,  he  reviewed  with  shuddering  the  perils 
he  had  passed  through,  the  unstable  fabric  which  had  served 
him  for  a  raft,  and  the  good  fortune,  or  rather  the  Divine 
Providence,  which  had  directed  him  to  this  small  spot  of  earth, 
instead  of  to  the  wide,  open  sea,  where  inevitable  destruction 
awaited  him.  Now,  at  aU  events,  he  had  his  feet  on  the  earth  ; 
a  solid  portion  of  the  soil  of  the  world  was  beneath  him,  and 
the  opportunity  was  given  him  to  exert  his  energies  for  his 
salvation. 

Education  and  the  training  of  his  youth  had  fully  prepared 
Henry  for  even  the  unusual  and  terrible  struggle  which  he 
must  necessarily  make,  be  his  future  good  or  ill,  and  whether 
Providence  designed  his  being  whoUy  left  on  that  spot  of  earth, 
or  that  he  should  be  saved. 

He  felt  that  it  was  quite  possible,  and  in  fact  certain,  that 
his  companions  would  seek  him,  hopeless  as  might  be  the 
search ;  and  as  he  knew  that  the  ship  had  not  yet  sailed  to 
any  very  great  distance  from  the  spot  where  he  now  was,  his 
mind  was  invigorated  by  hope  as  well  as  by  gratitude.  Men 
had  been  placed  in  worse  positions,  and  yet,  by  the  great  good- 
ness of  God,  had  escaped  to  tell  the  tale. 

He  accordingly  rose  from  his  knees  much  refreshed,  and 
proceeding  to  look  around  him,  surveyed  the  character  and  ap- 
pearance of  his  strange  abiding  place  with  great  curiosity. 

Close  to  his  feet  lay  the  vast  body  of  the  white  bear  he  had 
killed  the  previous  day.  It  was  quite  stiff  and  cold,  despite 
the  slightly  genial  warmth  which  began  to  spread  like  balm 
through  the  air.  This  at  once  was  a  sign  of  encouragement. 
But  though  this  animal  offered  him  much  in  the  way  of  self- 
preservation  and  utility,  yet  still  he  was  too  anxious  to  examine 
his  new  territory  to  do  any  thing  as  yet,  even  though  so  deeply 
essential  to  his  well-being  as  securing  food. 


140  NOETH   AND    SOUTH  AMEEICA. 

The  hill  already  alluded  to  was  about  half  a  mile  distant, 
and  as  it  was  rather  elevated  in  character,  Henry  determined 
at  once  to  climb  to  its  summit,  and  thus  discover  if  the  Fair 
Fanny  were  still  within  the  range  of  the  horizon. 

He  loaded  his  gun,  saw  that  his  axe  was  safe  in  his  belt, 
replenished  the  priming  of  his  pistols,  felt  for  his  hunting  knife, 
and  then  prepared  to  start  on  his  expedition,  despite  the  imme- 
diate cravings  of  hunger. 

There  are,  indeed,  moments  in  a  man's  life  when  even  the 
most  imperious  calls  of  nature  are  disregarded  and  despised, 
so  fixed  is  the  mind  upon  some  one  idea. 

It  was  at  this  instant  that  something  of  the  truth  flashed 
across  his  mind. 

He  gazed  out  upon  the  sea,  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  crack- 
ing ice  as  it  floated  by,  he  glanced  at  the  arid  shore,  he  listened 
and  he  heard  no  sound — an  overwhelming  feeling  of  desolation 
came  over  his  soul. 

He  was  alone. 
.  "  And  is  it  possible,"  he  cried  aloud,  though  no  voice  could 
answer  him,  no  ear  could  hearken  to  his  tale, — "  is  it  possible 
that  the  dream  of  my  childhood  has  come  true,  that  I  am  left 
alone  to  live  that  life  which  once  I  so  much  coveted — alone — 
on  an  island?  O,  let  me  see  at  once,  let  me  reassure  myself 
that  it  is  not  an  island,  or  I  shall  go  mad  ! " 

He  paused  and  looked  around,  as  if  expecting  some  reply. 
But  none  came  ;  not  even  the  echo  of  his  own  voice. 

"  O  father,  mother,  dear  Fanny — and  am  I  forever  parted 
from  you?  Is  this  reality,  or  is  it  an  ugly  and  fantastic 
dream,  the  child  of  fever  ?  It  is  not  real.  I  am  not,  I  cannot 
be  alone !  Wake  up,  my  soul ;  speak  to  me,  some  one — O 
heavens,  it  is  so — I  am — I  am  alone  !  " 

He  began,  as  he  spoke,  a  frantic  course  toward  the  moun- 
tain, but  was  soon  checked  by  the  difficulties  and  asperities  of 
the  road.  Wherever  there  was  a  slope  or  a  tendency  to  a 
valley,  the  snow  was  still  thick  on  the  ground,  wet,  thawing. 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  ARCTIC  EEGIONS.     141 

and  deep,  and  Henry  was  obliged  to  exercise  extreme  caution 
to  escape  falling  into  holes  which  would  have  sunk  him  up  to 
his  neck.  Still  on  he  went,  -using,  despite  the  wild  state  of  his 
mind,  every  precaution  to  escape  accident,  until  at  last  he 
reached  the  bottom  of  a  very  steep  acclivity  which  was  com- 
pletely free  from  snow,  a  stony,  arid  portion  of  land,  which 
seemed  to  continue  to  the  very  summit  of  the  hill,  the  top  of 
which  was  the  extreme  goal  of  his  present  wishes.  So  great 
was  his  haste  that  he  several  times  stumbled ;  but  at  length 
his  desire  was  accomplished — he  was  on  the  very  apex  of  the 
peak,  and  there  was  no  higher  land  above  him. 

His  first  glance  was  for  the  sea,  for  in  that  direction  was 
his  hope  of  salvation. 

He  looked  from  each  extremity  of  the  horizon  to  the  centre, 
and  then  gave  one  long  sweep  round  all ;  it  was  in  vain — 
nothing  met  his  gaze.  The  whole  sea  was  broken  up  by  lumps 
of  floating  ice,  by  floes,  and  by  icebergs ;  but  nothing  in  the 
shape  of  the  sails  of  a  ship  was  visible.  He  drew  a  long  sigh, 
and  proceeded  to  examine  the  hill  on  which  he  stood. 

It  struck  him  at  once  that  he  was  on  the  mouth  of  an  ex- 
tinct volcano.  The  hill  ^as  round  at  the  top,  and  descended 
by  a  gradual  slope  to  the  centre,  where  a  pile  of  snow  was  ac- 
cumulated, concealing  what  might  be  a  vast  depth  beneath. 
The  examination  of  this  Henry  at  once  deferred  until  a  more 
favorable  opportunity,  when  the  brief  but  rapid  summer  of 
these  regions  should  have  enabled  him  to  do  so  with  more  sat- 
isfaction. 

He  walked  slowly  round  the  hill,  hoping,  almost  against 
hope,  that  he  was  on  a  long  projection  of  the  continent,  on  the 
mainland  indeed,  instead  of,  as  he  feared  greatly,  on  a  deserted 
and  uninhabited  island. 

And  yet,  unless  he  fell  in  with  a  friendly  tribe  of  Esqui- 
maux, he  would  not  be  much  better  off  on  the  mainland  than 
he  would  be  on  an  isle  in  the  middle  of  the  sea.  For  a  man 
unused  to  that  climate,  any  attempt  to  reach  the  inhabited  part 


14:2 


NORTH  AND   SOUTH   AJUERICA. 


of  America  along  the  shores  of  the  Frozen  Sea  would  be  sheer 
madness. 

In  a  few  minutes  all  doubt  on  this  point  was  set  at  rest. 
The  place  which  had  given  him  .refuge  against  the  raging 
waves,  was  itself  wholly  surrounded  by  the  sea.  It  was  about 
seven  miles  long  and  three  broad,  and  nowhere  could  a  glimpse 
of  other  land  be  seen,  except  far  away  to  the  westward,  where 
a  long  line  of  blue  hills  seemed  to  be  clearly  distinguished  in 
the  distance. 


ESQUIMAUX  AND   THEIR  HUTS. 


"  Alone — on  an  island — in  the  Polar  Seas,"  cried  Henry, 
in  a  state  of  mind  bordering  on  distraction — "  what  am  I  to 
do  ?  what  is  to  become  of  me  ?  " 

And  he  descended  the  hill  toward  the  place  where  he  had 
landed,  his  whole  thoughts  now  directed  to  immediate  preser- 
vation. He  had  noticed,  on  the  edge  of  the  bay  near  which 
he  had  been  stranded,  several  pieces  of  wood  cast  up  by  the 


AIT  ADVENTURE  IN  THE   AECTIC  REGIONS.  143 

waves,  which  he  was  eager  to  possess  himself  of,  while  he  had 
been  considerably  struck,  on  his  way  np  the  hill,  by  the  pres- 
ence of  lumps  of  a  substance  which  he  believed  to  be  a  kind 
of  coal.  Here,  then,  were  two  important  discoveries,  which  it 
was  essential  to  verify. 

Henry  thought  not  of  a  fire  for  mere  purposes  of  warmth, 
but  he  hoped  that  a  huge  beacon  lighted  on  the  beach  would 
serve  the  purpose  also  of  attracting  his  friends.  On  second 
examination  he  was  more  than  ever  persuaded  that  the  sub- 
stance which  lay  scattered  at  the  foot  of  the  volcanic  hill  was 
a  kind  of  coal  very  common  in  the  polar  regions — ^which  some 
day  may  be  our  great  coal-field — and  which,  though  not  ex- 
actly the  same  as  that  known  to  the  ordinary  commerce  of  the 
world,  is  still  useful  and  gives  a  brilliant  light. 

It  appears,  indeed,  a  well-authenticated  fact,  that  up  in 
these  cold  regions,  near  the 

"  frigid  zone, 
Where  for  relentless  months,  continual  night 
Holds  o'er  the  glittering  waste  her  starry  light ; " 

where — as  Purchas  has  it — "  foggy  mysts,  tempestuous  winds, 
cold  blasts,  snowe,  and  hayle  "  abound  ;  where  *'  unequal  seas 
amaze  the  hearer  "  and  "  amate  the  beholder ; "  where  "  mon- 
strous icie  islands,  renting  themselves  with  terror  of  their  own 
massies,"  check  progress — are  concealed  treasures  of  minerals. 
Which  would,  if  known,  soon  produce  some  such  combination 
as  the  Anglo-Icicle  and  North  Pole  Gold,  Copper,  and  Tin 
Company.  And  so  vast  is  the  enterprise  of  man,  who  already 
seeks  his  oil  in  these  very  regions,  that  we  anticipate,  at  no 
distant  day,  the  shores  of  the  Frozen  Ocean  coming  into  com- 
petition with  Cornwall,  California,  and  Australia. 

To  collect  and  pile  up  a  supply  of  wood  and  coal  was  an 
occupation  which  gave  Henry  an  hour  of  very  hard  labor.  He 
begrudged  it  not,  however,  so  much  depending  on  the  success 
of  his  plan.  When  he  had  piled  up  as  much  as  he  thought 
necessary  for  immediate  purposes,  he  built  a  fire  against  a 


14A  NORTH   AND   SOUTH  AMEEICA. 

little  hillock,  and  then  proceeded,  with  a  beating  heart,  to  try 
the  experiment  of  lighting  it. 

On  the  southern  slope  of  a  stony  eminence  at  no  great  dis- 
tance, Henry  had  remarked  some  moss,  of  the  kind  which 
tempts  the  deer  in  such  large  numbers  to  certain  islands,  and 
of  this  he  had  torn  up  several  handfuls,  which  he  had  exposed 
to  the  faint  and  sickly  warmth  of  that  cold  and  dismal  sem- 
blance of  the  sun,  which  yet  by  comparison  was  so  cheerful  and 
pleasant.    On  this  depended  the  success  of  his  experiment. 

Never  did  so  much  depend  before  on  a  man  being  able  or 
not  to  light  a  fire.  His  life,  with  the  last  hope  of  relief,  were 
both  at  stake  on  the  hazard  of  success  or  failure. 

A  small  quantity  of  gunpowder  was  thrown  by  him  on  to 
the  moss,  which  he  placed  behind  his  pile  of  wood  and  coal, 
and  then  his  gun,  loosely  charged  with  a  piece  of  rag  as  wad- 
ding, was  fired  at  this  newly-invented  tinder. 

The  report  was  scarcely  heard  when  a  welcome  flash  was 
seen,  and  then  a  genial  flame,  as  rag,  moss,  and.  gunpowder 
acted  one  upon  the  other.  Henry  was  in  ecstasies,  and  when 
a  slight  breeze  which  prevailed  fanned  the  whole,  and  some 
small  chips  he  had  chipped  with  his  axe  began  first  to  smoke 
damply  and  then  to  blaze,  a  feeling  of  relief  and  hope  was  in- 
fused into  his  whole  being. 

Ten  minutes  later,  and  wood  and  coal,  after  resisting  for 
an  instant,  by  means  of  their  damp  state,  the  power  of  the 
flames  burst  forth  into  a  fire,  which  roared,  and  blazed,  and 
crackled,  in  a  way  that  proved  to  Henry  that,  on  that  lone 
and  desert  shore,  he  at  all  events  would  be  able  to  find,  what 
in  that  desolate  region  was  a  necessary  of  existence  at  all 
times — fuel. 

The  pleasurable  sensation  of  a  fire  was  so  great,  that  it 
had  a  natural  effect  upon  his  mind,  which  was  in  a  far  easier 
state  than  it  had  ever  been  since  his  first  discovery  of  his 
having  parted  company  with  his  companions  on  the  hunting 
expedition. 


AN   ADVENTURE   IN   THE   ARCTIC   REGIONS.  145 

There  is  almost  unlimited  power  in  physical  comfort.  The 
absence  of  material  and  positive  wants  shows  itself,  not  only 
in  the  person,  in  the  appearance,  in  the  look,  but  it  affects  the 
mind  and  character.  Not  only  do  whole  races,  that  have  been 
used  to  oppression  and  misery,  rise,  under  the  genial  sun  of 
liberty  and  prosperity,  to  an  improved  configuration  and  state 
of  body,  but  the  soothed  soul  sheds  its  light  over  the  whole 
characteristics  of  the  tribe,  which  becomes  more  generous, 
more  kindly,  better. 

Those  who  have  never  suffered,  those  who  have  never 
known  want,  can  scarcely  understand  the  kind  of  passionate 
delight  which  overspread  Henry's  heart  and  frame  as  he  gazed 
at  his  bright  and  blazing  pile. 

A  certain  amount  of  food  and  shelter  was  now  imperiously 
called  for.     Henry  was  famished. 

For  both  these  requisites  he  looked  to  the  bear — to  its  flesh 
and  its  skin. 

Taking  out  his  sharp  knife,  Henry  began  to  attack  the  ani- 
mal in  as  scientific  a  way  as  possible.  He  first  opened  the 
skin  from  head  to  tail,  a  task  of  less  difficulty  than  he  expected, 
he  having  lit  his  fire  sufficiently  near  the  animal  for  its  grad- 
ually increasing  heat  to  soften  the  hide  and  unfreeze  its  mem- 
bers. As  soon  as  this  operation  had  been  successfully  carried 
out  to  a  certain  extent,  he  cut  out  a  large  lump  of  flesh,  which 
he  then  sliced  into  thinner  portions,  some  of  which  he  fastened 
on  his  ramrod  and  placed  before  the  fire. 

This  was  a  mode  of  cooking  already  familiar  to  him 
during  some  of  his  land  expeditions,  when  he  had  first  visited 
America. 

He  then  continued  his  labor  with  the  more  ardor  that  he 
was  very  weary.  Already  had  the  time  come  when  there  is 
really  no  night ;  but  still  nature  exerted  her  imperious  power, 
and  he  only  succeeded  in  completely  skinning  the  animal  at  a 
moment  when  he  was  sinking  from  utter  exhaustion. 

Glad  indeed*  was  he  of  a  morsel  of  roasted  bear's  meat, 
7 


146  NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

when  his  hard  work  was  over,  and  equally  glad  was  he  of  a 
good  draught  of  snow-water  slightly  diluted  with  rum,  his  flask 
of  which  he  determined  to  preserve  as  a  cordial  in  case  of  ac- 
cident or  illness. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  wild  and  singular  scene,  away  up  in  that 
frozen  sea,  where,  probably,  a -fire  had  never  been  lit  before, 
to  see  that  lone  and  solitary  youth  seated  beside  that  blazing 
pile,  his  gun  close  to  his  hand,  the  carcass  of  a  huge  bear 
close  by,  and  the  sea  moaning  dismally  at  his  feet.  A  cold 
wind  swept  overhead  and  fanned  the  flames,  which  cast  every 
thing  more  than  ten  yards  distant  into  comparative  darkness  ;  a 
low  hush  seemed  to  be  sighed  forth  by  inanimate  nature  ;  and 
the  world,  abandoned  by  all,  was,  to  all  appearance,  left  the 
inheritance  of  this  the  last  man.  But  Henry  hoped  still ;  and 
the  fond  hope  of  being  reunited  to  his  fello-^^s  stHl  sustained 
him. 

Having  supped  heartily,  and  gained  confidence  once  more 
by  an  earnest  appeal  to  his  Creator,  Henry  piled  on  wood  and 
coal,  and  then  entered  within  his  shelter. 

Thick  and  freshly  torn  from  the  body  of  the  animal,  it  was 
a  coverlet  by  no  means  to  be  despised,  and  was  so  large  that 
Henry  lay  within  it  quite  at  his  ease. 

He  had,  indeed,  so  arranged  the  bear-skin,  that  he  was 
able  to  get  quite  within  it,  and  by  presenting  the  open  side  to 
the  fire,  to  have  a  prospect  of  being  tolerably  warm.  He 
clutched  a  pistol  with  one  hand,  and  then  closing  the  aperture 
round  him,  was  wholly  concealed  within  his  novel  and  extra- 
ordinary shelter — one,  however,  frequently  made  use  of  by 
hunters  in  icy  regions. 

And  thus  he  prepared  to  pass  his  first  night  on  an  island 
somewhere  about  the  78th  degree  of  latitude,  in  the  middle 
of  a  sea  which  beat  against  the  shores  with  a  dull  roar  of 
waves  and  icebergs.  ' 

Above,  the  sky  was  clear,  and  a  faint  Aurora  Borealis 
could  be  distinguished,  but  not  of  equal  beauty  with  those  seen 


AN    ADVENTUEE   IN    THE   ARCTIC   EEGIONS.  147 

during  the  intenser  frosts,  when  the  air  appears  to  be  more 
rarefied,  and  better  prepared  for  optical  illusions  and  effects. 
ThQ  stars  looked  singularly  bright ;  and  altogether,  for  one 
cast  thus  suddenly  on  his  own  resources,  it  was  an  encouraging 
and  pleasing  sight  for  the  regions  in  which  it  manifested  itself. 
The  sun,  too,  was  perpetually  visible,  though  yet  for  a  few 
days  it  gave  but  little  light. 

Henry,  wearied  and  exhausted  as  he  was,  felt  no  inclination 
to  sleep.  The  novelty  of  his  situation,  the  dim  hopes  of  being 
saved,  the  dread  of  wild  beasts,  the  prospect  of  being  forever 
left  to  battle  with  the  elements  on  that  bleak  shore,  the  appar- 
ent impossibility  of  passing  a  winter  there,  were  all  ideas  that 
banished  slumber  completely. 

It  was,  we  have  said,  a  beautiful  night,  and  gradually  Hen- 
ry, despite  his  unquiet  thoughts,  became  soothed  by  the  solemn 
stillness  of  that  place,  where  man,  doubtless,  had  never  before 
trod,  and  where  human  voice  had  never  been  heard.  The 
alternate  moaning  and  roaring  of  the  sea,  the  cracking  of  the 
flames,  the  hissing  of  the  damp  wood,  the  sputtering  of  gas  es- 
caping in  sudden  bursts,  were  the  only  sounds  which  greeted 
his  ear,  and  they  were  so  monotonous,  that  Henry's  eyes  grew 
gradually  heavy,  and  at  last  he  fell  off"  into  a  sound  and  re- 
freshing sleep,  without  dreams  or  sensation  of  any  "kind. 

"  What  want  you?"  suddenly  exclaimed  Henry,  fancying 
himself  in  the  cabin  of  the  Fair  Fanny ^  and  that  some  one 
was  pulling  him  to  wake  him. 

He  was  awake,  but  recollection  came  slowly,  and  then  he 
felt  something  tugging  furiously  at  one  of  the  paws  of  the  bear. 
He  at  once  guessed  it  to  be  a  fox,  and  with  a  tremendous  roar 
thrust  his  arm  out  and  fired.  A  yell,  a  long  and  repeated  howl, 
and  the  scampering  of  many  feet  on  the  pebbly  shore,  pro- 
claimed his  victory.  The  foxes,  whose  presence  had  been 
attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  flesh  of  the  bear,  escaped  with 
singular  rapidity. 

Having  found  his  other  pistol,  and  even  loaded  the  one  he 


148  NOETH   AND   SOUTH    AMEEICA.       * 

had  discharged,  Henry  waited  a  renewal  of  the  attack ;  but 
the  animals  seemed  sufficiently  alarmed  with  one  experiment. 
No  doubt  the  human  voice  was  even  more  terrible  to  them 
than  the  firearms,  for  they  made  no  further  attack. 

Henry  arose  for  a  moment  to  replenish  his  fire,  and  en- 
deavored as  much  as  possible  to  raise  a  high  blaze,  which 
might  thus  be  seen  at  a  great  distance.  The  wind  had  in- 
creased, and  the  waves  broke  with  additional  fury  against  the 
edge  of  the  bay.  Up  rose  the  flames  of  the  wood  and  coal 
on  high,  making  a  flare  which  could  be  seen,  doubtless,  a  long 
way  off". 

With  this  conviction,  Henry  ran  up  and  down  for  some 
time,  building  up  his  fire,  adding  fuel,  and  then  listening  for 
some  welcome  response  to  his  signal.  He  had  at  last  placed 
on  the  pile  a  large  log  of  very  resinous  wood,  which,  when 
once  warmed  through,  gave  forth  flames  which  must  have 
been  visible  from  a  very  great  distance. 

Great  was  the  surprise  and  joy  of  our  hero,  when,  ten 
minutes  later,  he  heard  distinctly  the  well-known  sound  of 
the  only  piece  of  artillery  possessed  by  the  brig,  booming  in 
the  distance. 

Once — twice — ^thrice. 

Henry  clasped  his  hands  in  an  agony  of  wild  emotion, 
which  the  criminal  respited  on  the  scaflTold  could  only,  perhaps, 
understand  and  appreciate. 

At  intervals  of  five  or  six  minutes  it  was  heard  for  nearly 
half  an  hour,  during  which  time  Henry  wholly  exhausted  his 
supply  of  fuel.  He  tried  to  be  calm,  but  his  excitement  was 
beyond  all  bounds  and  control.  He  cut  huge  pieces  of  fat 
from  the  carcass  of  the  bear,  and  cast  them  on  the  top  of  the 
pile  to  increase  the  blaze,  and  then,  the  firing  having  ceased, 
again  lay  down  with  hope,  and  yet  with  fear,  to  await  the  hour 
which  was  to  decide  his  fate. 
]         i>^  *****  * 

Sufiice  it  to  say  that  the  signal  was  seen,  and  his  compan- 


AN   ADVENTURE   IN   THE   AECTIC   REGIONS. 


149 


ions  came  to  his  rescue  ;  and  lie  was  saved  from  the  horrible 
death  that  had  awaited  him  on  that  desolate  ice-bound  coast. 


A   QROUP   OF  LAPLANDERS. 


150  NOETH   AND   SOUTH  AMEEICA. 


LASSOING  IN  PAEAGUAY. 


I  PASSED  a  month  among  the  Santa  Fecinos  hospitably  en- 
tertained, according  to  their  fashion,  while  making  observa- 
tions according  to  my  own.  Still  there  was  no  word  of  my 
little  ship,  which  had  left  Buenos  Ayres  some  days  before  me. 
iBut  the  navigation  of  the  River  Parana,  "  aguas  aribba,"  that 
lis,  against  the  current,  is  not  the  only  tedious  affair  to  which 
those  who  will  go  against  the  current  in  this  world  must 
submit. 

The  vessel  had  been  out  forty  days,  and  yet  had  not  ac- 
complished four  hundred  miles,  that  is,  not  ten  miles  a  day. 

As  things  began  to  get  monotonous  at  Santa  Fe,  I  bethought 
me  of  proceeding  on  my  journey.  I  bade  adieu  to  the  good 
and  primitive  people  of  that  place  ;  and  being  provided  with 
fresh  letters  of  introduction,  especially  from  Candioti  to  two  of 
his  sons  who  managed  estates  of  his  that  lay  in  my  route,  I 
resumed  my  travelling  costume,  and,  with  my  weather-beaten, 
but  faithful  servant  Francisco,  embarked  in  a  canoe  for  the 
Baxada.  We  were  paddled  by  six  athletic  Paraguayans  out 
of  the  riacho  or  branch  of  the  Salado  on  which  Santa  Fe 
stands.  After  gliding  over  it  a  distance  of  about  twelve  or 
fourteen  miles,  we  emerged  into  the  noble,  the  magnificent 
Parana.  It  is  here  about  three  miles  wide,  smooth  and  clear 
as  crystal,  wooded  on  the  west  bank,  and  confined  by  precip- 
itous barancas  or  cliffs  on  the  east.  As  the  Salado  comes  out 
below  the  Baxada,  we  were  obliged  to  paddle  about  three  miles 
up  the  stream  before  we  could  venture  to  cross,  without  run- 
ning a  risk  of  being  carried  down  by  the  current  below  the 
point  we  aimed  at  making.  When  we  had  accomplished  this 
distance  above  the  site  of  the  Baxada,  our  little  canoe  was  at 
once  launched  into  the  middle  of  the  current ;  and  making,  by 
the  impulse  of  this,  as  much  way  laterally,  as  by  the  impetus 
of  the  paddles,  it  shot  ahead,  we  crossed    the  stream  in  a 


LASSOING  IN   PAKAGUAY.  1530 

rapid  and  gallant  style.  We  attained,  within  half  an  hour 
from  the  time  of  our  first  standing  over  for  the  Baxada,  that 
precise  point.  No  sailors  in  the  world  could  more  nicely  have 
calculated,  nor  with  greater  precision  have  executed,  the 
taking  of  a  port  in  a  skiff,  and  in  the  face  of  a  rapid  current, 
than  did  the  Paraguayans  in  their  shell  of  a  canoe,  liable  to 
be  upset  by  a  passenger's  moving  a  little  too  much  either  to 
the  right  side  or  the  left.  I  found  the  port  of  the  Baxada 
situated  at  the  foot  of  a  very  high,  but  gently  sloping  cliff. 
The  town,  as  distinct  from  the  port,  stands  at  the  top  of  this 
cliff,  and  hence  derives  its  name  "  Baxada  de  Santa  Fe"  (that 
is,  the  descent  to  Santa  Fe) .  It  might  have  been  called  the 
Golgotha  of  Cattle  ;  for  I  found  it  strewed  not  only  with  their 
skulls,  but  their  carcasses.  It  was  quite  surrounded  by  slaugh- 
ter grounds  and  corrales  ;  or  rather,  instead  of  these  surrounding 
the  town,  they  constituted  part  of  it.  The  ground  was  soaked 
with  the  blood  of  the  animals ;  and  the  effluvia  from  their 
offal,  from  large  piles  of  hides,  and  from  manufactories  of 
tallow,  emitted  under  the  hot  rays  of  a  burning  sun  with  ten- 
fold intensity,  were  nearly  insupportable.  The  air  over  the 
site  of  those  corrales  was  almost  darkened  by  birds  of  prey. 
Vultures,  carrion-crows,  and  carrion-gulls,  hovered,  skimmed, 
and  wheeled  their  flight  around  the  carcasses  of  the  slain. 
Here  were  a  dozen  clamorous  assailants  fixing  their  talons, 
and  thrusting  their  curved  beaks  into  the  yet  warm  flesh  of  an 
animal,  which  had  yielded  its  hide  and  tallow  (all  for  whicli  it 
was  deemed  valuable)  to  the  guacho  executioners  of  the  ma- 
tadero.  There,  so  many  pigs  were  contending  for  mastery  in 
the  revels,  and  close  by,  some  ravenous  dogs  were  usurping 
and  maintaining  an  exclusive  right  to  the  prey.  Ducks,  fowls, 
turkeys,  all  seemed  to  prefer  beef  to  any  thing  else  ;  and  such 
a  cawing,  cackling,  barking,  and  screaming,  as  were  kept  up 
by  the  heterogeneous  family  of  quadrupeds  and  winged  crea- 
tures which  were  voraciously  satisfying  the  cravings  of  nature, 
was  never  heard  out  of  Babel.     I  wended  my  way  to  the 


162  NOKTH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

house  of  the  gQvemor ;  was  received  with  the  pompous,  yet 
awkward  decorum  of  a  village  chieftain  newly  elected  to 
office ;  got  my  passport  signed ;  and  in  two  hours  from  the 
time  of  my  landing  I  left,  at  a  hand-gallop,  the  carnivorous 
Baxada. 

As  I  rode  along,  post-haste,  at  the  rate  of  twelve  miles  an 
hour,  I  perceived  I  had  got  into  quite  a  different  style  of  coun- 
try from  that  which  intervened  between  Buenos  Ayres  and 
Santa  Fe.  There,  all  was  flat,  monotonous,  with  leagues 
upon  leagues  of  ground  covered  with  thistles  eight  feet  high, 
and  only  space  enough  to  ride  through  their  dense,  brown,  and 
interminable  ranks.  Here  the  country  was  undulating,  ver- 
dant, irrigated  by  frequently-recurring  streams,  and  ever  and 
anon  shaded,  as  well  as  adorned,  by  woods  of  the  algarroba- 
tree.  The  herds  of  cattle  were  much  more  extensive,  the 
horses  finer,  the  peasantry  more  athletic  than  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  Parana ;  and  though  there  were  not  here,  any 
more  than  there,  either  fences,  cultivation,  or  other  signs  of 
human  industry  ;  though  the  thinly-scattered  habitations  were 
mere  mud  huts,  and  their  half-clothed  inhabitants  little  re- 
moved from  savage  life,  yet  the  whole  air  of  the  country  was 
more  cheering  and  exhilarating. 

At  the  end  of  my  second  day's  journey  I  reached  one  of 
Candioti's  best  estancias,  on  the  Arroyo  Hondo,  or  deep  riv- 
ulet ;  and  there  I  alighted  for  the  night.  On  presenting  my 
credentials  from  the  veteran  Gaucho,  I  was  received  by  one 
of  his  numerous  offshoots,  with  all  the  overflowing  hospitality 
of  the  country.  He  inhabited  only  a  mud-hut,  containing 
three  apartments,  and  forming,  with  two  or  three  out-houses, 
one  side  of  an  unfinished  square.  Another  side  and  a  half  of 
this  square  was  occupied  by  the  huts,  small,  and  lowly  enough, 
of  the  five-and-forty  peons,  or  herds  who  superintended  the 
thirty  thousand  head  of  cattle,  and  some  fifty  thousand  horses 
and  mules  on  the  estate.  Around  this  little  colony  were  four 
most  spacious  corrales,  or  enclosures  for  the  cattle,  and  one 


LASSOING   m   PAKAGUAY.  153 

for  sheep.  "With  Selkirk,  Candioti's  son  might  have  said,  "  I 
am  master  of  all  I  survey."  Every  lineament  of  his  fine 
countenance  betrayed  his  sire.  In  his  father's  own  patriarchal 
style,  Candioti's  son  received  me  at  his  lowly  porch.  The  sun 
was  just  setting  in  the  horizon ;  the  numerous  herds  were 
drawing  up,  and  lowing,  as  they  came  from  the  water  to  the 
corrales  ;  an  uncountable  flock  of  sheep  was  bleating  in  the 
distance,  as  guided  by  one  herd,  and  a  dozen  sagacious  dogs — 
they,  too,  came  to  their  place  of  repose  for  the  night. 

The  feathered  tribe  of  domestic  fowls  v/ere  cackling  to 
their  roost ;  and  the  pigeons,  wheeling  their  last  flight  for  the 
day,  were  gathering  around  the  dove-cot.  The  deep-toned 
voices  of  the  herds,  as  they  rode  round  the  cattle,  came  undu- 
lating on  the  breeze  from  afar ;  while  the  plaintive  note  of  the 
partridge,  which  abounded  all  around,  chimed  in,  and  made 
part  of  the  rural  harmony  of  the  close  of  day. 

Many  were  the  victims  destined  to  furnish  the  supper, 
which  Candioti's  son  now  gave  orders  to  prepare.  The  fatted 
calf  was  killed  to  supply  came  con  cuero  ;  down  from  the  perch 
were  brought  three  pullets,  for  the  oUa  and  the  spit ;  three 
brace  of  just-fledged  doves  were  devoted  to  the  stew-pan ;  a 
bleating  lamb  was  bound  to  the  stake  ; — "  And  now,"  said  the 
son  of  Candioti,  "  vamos  a  agarrar  unas  perdices," — "  let  us 
go  and  catch  some  partridges."  You  have  heard  of  par- 
tridges being  shot^  but  how  they  are  caught  in  those  countries, 
you  are,  perhaps,  not  aware.  We  walked  about  five  hundred 
yards  from  the  house,  followed  by  two  gauchos  on  horseback. 
Each  of  them  had  in  his  hand  a  small  whip.  Presently  we 
saw  scores  of  partridges,  just  peeping  with  their  small  heads 
above  the  grass.  The  gauchos  rode  toward  the  first  two  they 
observed,  and  leaning  half  way  down  the  sides  of  their  horses, 
commenced  by  describing,  with  their  whips,  a  pretty  large  cir- 
cle around  the  birds  ;  while  these,  with  anxious  eye,  followed 
the  movement.  Gradually  the  magic  circle  was  lessened,  and 
the  enchanted  partridges  became  more  and  more  afraid  of  try- 
7* 


154  NORTH    AND    SOUTH   AMERICA. 

ing  to  make  their  escape  from  it.  They  became  stupefied,  and 
the  peons  closing  in  with  them,  by  a  sudden  and  dexterous 
jerk  of  the  whip,  knocked  them  on  the  head.  The  little  inno- 
cents were  then,  not  lagged  (because  the  gauchos  had  no  such 
receptacle  for  game),  but  they  were  strung,  one  by  one,  on  a 
small  leathern  thong ;  till  six  brace,  in  about  fifteen  minutes, 
being  taken  in  this  way,  home  we  came  with  the  sport.  Poor 
partridges  !  they  had  come  to  their  death,  not  by  the  legitimate 
means  of  powder  and  shot,  but  terror-stricken  by  a  magical 
spell,  they  were  felled  by  the  unexpected  blow  of  a  gaucho's 
whip.  In  England,  beef  and  mutton  must  be  kept  a  week, 
and  game  ten  days  before  they  are  eaten.  Not  so  in  South 
America ;  for  the  partridges  which  had  been  taken  ten  minutes 
before,  the  fatted  calf,  the  pullet  and  the  pigeons,  which  had 
bidden  adieu  to  the  world  that  afternoon,  were  all,  in  different 
ways,  under  process  of  cooking;  they  were  all,  two  hours 
afterwards,  partaken  of,  and  we  found  them  delicate,  tender, 
excellent.  How  this  is  I  do  not  know ;  but  such  is  the  fact. 
A  deal  table  was  covered  with  a  splendidly-tamboured  table- 
napkin  ;  most  of  the  supper  utensils  were  of  silver  ;  sparkling 
water  glittered  in  a  crystal  carafF;  wine,  water-melons,  peaches, 
honey,  and  segars,  stood  upon  a  side-table  ;  and  after  a  two 
hours'  repast  I  stretched  myself  upon  a  luxurious,  albeit  uncur- 
tained bed,  and  slept  soundly  until  the  dawn  of  day. 

You  must  not  run  away  with  the  idea,  however,  that  we 
were  seated  in  any  thing  like  an  English  dining-room.  The 
floor  of  our  apartment  was  of  mud ;  so  were  the  walls. 
The  thatch  of  the  roof  was  but  too  apparent.  Here,  in  one 
corner,  stood  my  bed, — ^there,  in  another,  lay  strewed  the 
cumbrous  saddle-gear  of  three  or  four  horses.  In  two  large 
earthen  pitchers  stood  the  watdr ;  and  the  copper-colored  ser- 
vants that  waited  on  us  were  dressed  in  half-naked  Indian 
simplicity.  We  had  change  of  neither  knives,  plates,  nor 
forks.  Candioti  junior,  his  liead  capataz,  or  overseer,  and 
the  curate  of  a  neighboring  capilla,  ate  of  the  same  dish.    The 


LASSOING  IN  PARAGUAY.  155 

chairs  were  antiquated  leather-bottomed  chairs,  with  backs 
five  feet  high  from  the  ground.  The  door  stood  open,  with 
half-a-dozen  horses  saddled  and  tied  to  stakes  around  it.  No 
pictures  graced  the  walls,  no  sashes,  nay,  not  even  shutters 
protected  the  windows,  nor  did  glass  make  a  part  of  them. 
Every  thing  around  us,  even  our  savory  and  abundant  cheer, 
bespoke  that  we  were  supping  with  a  nomadic  chief.  His 
welcome  was  primitive  and  hearty ;  his  wealth  consisted  in 
flocks  and  herds  ;  and  his  domestic  arrangements  were  rough 
and  simple  as  the  habits  of  the  master.  All  bore  evidence  of 
the  distance  at  which  we  were  from  modern  luxury  and  refine- 
ment. The  basin  in  which,  like  the  Jews,  we  washed  hands 
after  meals,  was  carried  round  by  a  China  or  Indian  female 
servant ;  and  a  tall  mulatto  taking  off  my  boots  struck  the 
adhesive  clay  from  them,  and  put  them  down  by  the  side  of 
my  bed,  by  way  of  intimation  that  this  was  all  I  had  to  expect 
in  the  way  of  cleaning  my  boots.  Just  as  the  day  began  to 
dawn,  a  mate  and  cigar  were  brought  to  me  by  Candioti 
junior  ;  the  saddle-gear  was  carried  out  of  the  room,  and  put 
on  the  backs  of  several  magnificent  horses,  which  stood  ready 
at  the  door  to  be  saddled ;  and  in  ten  minutes,  Candioti,  his 
capataz,  my  servant,  and  eight  peons,  followed  by  six  large 
dogs,  were  mounted,  and  ready  to  ride  the  round  of  the  estan- 
cia,  in  order  that  I  might  see  a  little  into  the  detail  of  its  man- 
agement, and  get  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  its  surface. 

Off  we  started,  like  so  many  Arabs,  our  spirits  rising  as 
our  horses  warmed.  The  partridge  rose  whirring  from  under 
our  feet ;  the  antelope  and  the  fawn  bounded  off  before  us ; 
the  screaming  tirutero,  or  horned  plover,  skimmed  the  air 
around  us  ;  the  ostrich  started  from  her  eggs,  and  with  brawny 
limbs,  and  outspread  wings,  defied  the  horse's  speed. 

Up  rose  the  large  partridge ;  and  here  the  exhilarating 
sport  of  the  day  commenced.  No  sooner  had  this  noble  bird 
commenced  its  perpendicular  flight,  than  Candioti  junior,  and 
every  peon  in  his  train,  put  spurs  to  their  horses,  leant  down 


156^  NORTH   AND   SOUTH   AMEEICA. 

on  their  necks,  hallooed  on  the  dogs :  and  "  Vamos,  Senor 
Don  Juan,"  said  he  to  me,  "  atras  de  la  perdiz  : "  "  let  us  be 
oiF  after  the  partridge."  The  horses  followed  the  partridge's 
flight,  and  almost  at  his  speed ;  the  dogs,  with  loud-tongued 
music,  followed  the  horses ;  every  man  put  his  hand  to  his 
mouth,  in  rapid  and  reiterated  motion,  till  the  welkin  rang 
with  the  loud-mouthed  din  of  riders  and  of  dogs.  There  was 
no  need  for  the  huntsman's  horn  ;  it  would  have  been  drowned 
in  the  loud,  yet  not  inharmonious  concert  of  our  hunting-band. 
At  a  quicker  pace  than  that  at  which  I  ever  followed  the  fox, 
did  we  follow  the  "  perdiz  grande."  The  eagle  eyes  of  the 
gaucho  pursuers  were  upon  him,  till  after  a  flight  of  about 
three  minutes,  they  marked  him  down.  Up  to  the  spot  came 
horses  and  dogs,  panting  as  they  reached  it.  In  a  moment, 
the  scent  was  taken  into  the  nostrils  of  the  now  eager  hounds. 
The  partridge  was  on  the  run.  His  pursuers  traced  his  rapid 
steps  with  the  certainty  of  instinct ;  and  as  they  did  so,  the 
riders  were  kept  at  a  slow  trot.  It  was  the  "  check,"  so  to 
spfeak,  in  the  chase ;  and  as  every  moment  the  bird  was  ex- 
pected again  to  rise,  and  as  the  dogs  drew  close  and  more 
closely  upon  his  track,  the  excitement  became  extreme.  Up, 
at  last,  flew  the  frightened,  ponderous,  and  pursued  bird.  Its 
second  flight  was  shorter  and  more  feeble  than  the  first — more 
animated  became  the  pursuit  of  huntsmen  and  of  dogs.  Once 
more  followed  up,  and  once  more  "  marked  down,"  the  par- 
tridge took  its  third  and  shortest  flight;  and  then,  like  the 
weeping  stag,  unable  to  proceed  farther,  it  gave  itself  into  the 
hands  of  its  pursuers.  We  took  it  up,  overcome  with  fatigue 
and  panting  with  fear,  but,  l)eing  like  other  sportsmen,  too  in- 
tent on  our  own  pleasure  to  think  much  of  our  victim's  pain, 
we  were  at  once  comforted  and  pleased  to  see  the  object  of  our 
pursuit,  anxiety,  and  recreation,  dangling,  by  a  thong,  at  the 
saddle-peak  of  one  of  the  gauchos.  We  had  taken  three 
brace  of  birds,  when  an  ostrich  starting  before  us,  Candioti 
junior  gave  the  war-whoop  of  pursuit  to  his  gaucho  followers  ; 


lAssoma  m  pabaguay.  157 

» 

and  to  me  the  now  well-known  intimation  of  "  Vamos,  Seiior 
Don  Juan."  Off  went,  or  rather  flew,  the  gauchos  ;  my  steed 
bounded  away  in  their  company ;  and  we  were  now  instead 
of  tracking  an  invisible  bird  through  tufted  grass,  in  full  cry 
after  the  nimble,  conspicuous,  and  athletic  ostrich.  With  crest 
erect,  and  angry  eye,  towering  above  all  herbage,  our  game 
flew  from  us,  by  the  combined  aid  of  wings  and  limbs,  at  the 
rate  of  sixteen  miles  an  hour. 

The  chase  lasted  half  of  that  time  ;  when  an  Indian  peon, 
starting  ahead  of  the  close  phalanx  of  his  mounted  competitors, 
whirled  his  bolas,*  with  admirable  grace  and  dexterity  around 
his  head,  and  with  deadly  aim  flung  them  over  the  half-run- 
ning, half-flying,  but  now  devoted  ostrich.  Irretrievably  en- 
tangled, down  came  the  giant  bird,  rolling,  fluttering,  panting ; 
and  being  in  an  instant  despatched,  the  company  of  the  field 
stripped  him  of  his  feathers  ;  stuck  them  in  their  girdles,  and 
left  the  plucked  and  mangled  carcass  in  the  plain,  a  prey  to 
the  vultures,  which  were  already  hovering  around  us. 

"We  now  came  upon  an  immense  herd  of  wild  horses,  and 
Candioti  junior  said,  "  Now  Senor  Don  Juan,  I  must  show 
you  how  we  tame  a  colt."  So  saying,  the  word  was  given  for 
pursuit  of  the  herd  ;  and  off,  once  more,  like  lightning,  started 
the  gaucho  horsemen,  Candioti  and  myself  keeping  up  with 
them.  The  herd  consisted  of  about  two  thousand  horses, 
neighing  and  snorting,  with  ears  erect  and  flowing  tails,  their 
manes  outspread  to  the  wind.  Off  they  flew,  affrighted  the 
moment  they  were  conscious  of  pursuit.     The  gauchos  set  up 

*  The  bolas,  next  to  the  lazo,  are  the  gaucho's  most  formidable  weapon. 
They  consist  of  three  round  heavy  stones,  each  about  the  size  of  a  large 
orange,  covered  with  hide,  and  attached  to  three  plaited  thongs,  which 
diverge  from  each  other,  and  from  a  common  centre,  every  thong  being 
about  five  feet  in  length.  These,  when  thrown  with  unerring  aim,  as  they 
almost  invariably  are,  at  the  legs  of  an  animal  at  his  full  speed,  twist  and 
entangle  themselves  around  them,  and  bring  him  with  a  terrible  impulse 
to  the  ground.  The  gaucho  then  runs  in  upon  him,  and  either  secures  or 
kills  him. 


158  NOETH   AND    SOUTH   AMEBIC  A. 

tlieir  usual  cry  ;  the  dogs  were  left  in  the  distance  ;  and  it  was 
not  till  we  had  followed  the  flock  at  full  speed,  and  without  a 
check  for  five  miles,  that  the  two  headmost  peons  launched 
their  bolas  at  the  horse  which  each  had  respectively  singled 
out  of  the  herd.  Down  to  the  ground  with  frightful  somersets 
came  two  gallant  colts.  The  herd  continued  its  headlong  flight, 
leaving  behind  their  two  prostrate  companions.  Upon  these, 
the  whole  band  of  gauchos  now  ran  in  ;  lazos  were  applied  to 
tie  their  legs  ;  one  man  held  down  the  head  of  each  horse,  and 
anotlier  the  hind  quarters  ;  while,  with  singular  rapidity  and 
dexterity,  other  two  gauchos  put  the  saddles  and  bridles  on 
their  fallen,  trembling,  and  nearly  frantic  victims.  This  done, 
the  two  men  who  had  brought  down  the  colts,  bestrode  them 
as  they  still  lay  on  the  ground.  In  a  moment,  the  lazos  which 
bound  their  legs  were  loosed,  and  at  the  same  time  a  shout 
from  the  field  so  frightened  the  potros,  that  up,  they  started  on 
all  fours,  but  to  their  astonishment  each  with  a  rider  on  his 
back,  riveted,  as  it  were,  to  the  saddle,  and  controlling  him  by 
means  of  a  never  before  dreamt-of  bit  in  his  mouth. 

The  animals  made  a  simultaneous  and  most  surprising 
vault:  they  reared,  plunged,  and  kicked;  now  they  started 
off  at  full  gallop,  and  anon  stopped  short  in  their  career,  with 
their  heads  between  their  legs,  endeavoring  to  throw  their 
riders.  "  Que  ezperanza  ! " — "  vain  hope  indeed  !  "  Immov- 
able sat  the  two  Tape  Indians  :  they  smiled  at  the  unavailing 
efforts  of  the  turbulent  and  outrageous  animals  to  unseat 
them ;  and  in  less  than  hour  from  the  time  of  their  mounting, 
it  was  very  evident  who  were  to  be  the  masters.  The  horses 
did  their  very  worst,  the  Indians  never  lost  either  the  security 
or  the  grace  of  their  seats ;  till  after  two  hours  of  the  most 
violent  efforts  to  rid  themselves  of  their  burden,  the  horses 
were  so  exhausted,  that,  drenched  in  sweat,  with  gored  and 
palpitating  sides,  and  hanging  down  their  heads,  they  stood 
for  five  minutes  together,  panting  and  confounded.  But  they 
made  not  a  single  effort  to  move.     Then  came  the  gaucho's 


LASSOING   IN   PAKAGUAT.  159 

turn  to  exercise  his  more  positive  authority.  Hitherto  he  had 
been  entirely  upon  the  defensive.  His  object  was  simply  to 
keep  his  seat  and  tire  out  his  horse.  He  now  wanted  to  move 
him  in  a  given  direction.  Wayward,  zigzag,  often  interrupted 
was  his  course  at  first.  Still  the  gauchos  made  for  a  given 
point ;  and  they  advanced  toward  it,  till  at  the  end  of  about 
three  hours  the  now  mastered  animals  moved  in  nearly  a 
direct  line,  and  in  company  with  the  other  horses,  to  the 
puesto,  or  small  subordinate  establishment  on  the  estate,  to 
which  we  were  repairing.  When  we  got  there,  the  two 
horses,  which  so  shortly  before  had  been  free  as  the  wind, 
were  tied  to  a  stake  of  the  corral — the  slaves  of  lordly  man  ; 
and  all  hope  of  emancipation  was  at  an  end. 

At  the  puesto,  or  small  out-house  of  the  estate  to  which 
we  now  came,  they  were  busy  branding  the  cattle.  About  a 
thousand  oxen  and  yearlings  were  shut  up  in  a  large  corral, 
and  five  or  six  peons  with  their  lazos  were  tumbling  them  over 
one  by  one.  The  moment  a  gaucho,  appointed  to  keep  a 
couple  of  red-hot  brands  in  readiness,  saw  an  animal  down, 
up  he  ran  and  indelibly  stamped  upon  his  hind  quarter  the 
initials  F.  C,  standing  for  Francisco  Candioti.  From  that 
time,  wherever  the  branded  animal  might  go,  he  was  claim- 
able by  the  real  owner. 

''  Even  his  hide,  if  stripped  from  him  by  a  thief  or  ma- 
rauder, was,  unless  the  original  brand  was  overlaid  by  a 
counter-brand  of  the  seller,  liable  to  be  taken,  vi  et  armis,  by 
F.  C.  When  cattle  or  horses  are  sold,  therefore,  in  order  to 
render  the  sale  legal,  or  the  possessions  secure,  the  '  contra- 
marca,'  or  counter-mark  of  the  vendor,  must  be  afiixed  over 
the  original  one.  After  this,  the  purchaser's  mark  is  branded 
on  the  beast ;  so  that  every  animal  sold  in  South  America  is 
subjected  at  least  thrice  to  the  ordeal  of  branding.  I  have 
seen  the  hind-quarters  of  some  of  the  finest  horses  in  the 
country  rendered  absolutely  deformed  by  the  cruel  and  ofl- 
repcated  process." 


160 


NOETH   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 


A  friend  of  mine  once  bought  a  horse  in  Buenos  Ayres 
without  this  precaution  ;  and  as  we  were  riding  out  one  morn- 
ing, three  athletic  gauchos  came  up  to  us.  They  uncere- 
moniously jostled  my  friend  off  his  scat ;  claimed,  and  one  of 
them  took  possession  of  the  horse,  on  the  plea  of  its  having  his 
mark  upon  it.  While  galloping  off  with  the  animal,  saddle, 
bridle,  and  all,  it  was  in  vain  that  my  unhorsed  and  discom- 
fited friend  called  aloud  in  his  Anglo-Spanish  dialect — "  Toma 
Cavallo,  but  spera,  spera  the  saddello."  "  Take  the  horse,  but 
leave,  do  leave  me  the  saddle."  The  saddle  was  five  times  the 
value  of  the  horse  ;  but  my  friend  never  afterwards  saw  sad- 
dle, gaucho,  or  horse. 


LASSOING  IN  PARAGUAY. 


The  puesto  from  which  we  now  set  out,  to  return  home, 
was  distant  about  three  leagues  from  Candioti's  house.  Of 
Buch  puestoSj  he  had  five  on  this  one  estate,  of  which  the 


LASSOING   m   PARAGUAY.  161 

extent  was  about  thirty-six  square  leagues ;  that  is,  four 
leagues  in  front  by  nine  in  depth.  The  number  of  tame  cattle 
(de  rodeo)  upon  it  was  about  twenty-five  thousand,  and  of 
wild,  or  alzado  cattle,  about  six  or  eight.  The  horses  were 
computed  at  forty  thousand.  Of  the  tame  cattle,  the  proprietor 
could  slaughter  one  fourth  in  the  year,  and  still  go  on  increas- 
ing his  stock.  The  mode  of  slaughtering  the  wild  cattle  is 
singular.  The  animals  retire  into  the  woods  to  sleep  ;  and  on 
moonlight  nights  a  number  of  peons  come  quietly  upon  them 
as  they  lie  upon  the  grass,  stab  them  on  the  spot,  and  leave 
them  till  next  day.  The  peons  then  return,  flay  the  animal, 
and  carry  away  its  tallow  and  skin.  These  alone  were,  at  the 
time  at  which  I  speak,  of  any  value  ;  and  so  the  carcass  was 
left  on  the  spot  on  which  it  was  slain,  to  be  devoured  by  the 
vultures  and  wild  dogs.  Of  the  latter  there  are  large  droves 
constantly  scouring  the  country  in  search  of  food,  which  they 
generally  get  in  the  woods,  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the  corrales. 


EUEOPE 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  LEVANT.  ' 

The  hero,  or  rather  victim,  of  the  following  thrilling  ad- 
venture was  a  fellow  passenger  of  mine  in  my  homeward- 
bound  voyage,  during  the  year  1850.  A  Greek  by  birth, 
though  a  Frenchman  at  heart,  by  education  and  naturalization, 
he  disclosed  to  me  a  specimen  of  the  atrocities  sometimes  per- ' 
petrated  by  a  set  of  freebooters,  in  the  guise  and  under  the 
protection  of  their  official  positions  as  gens-d'armes,  or  police 
constables.  Had  he  not  been  possessed  of  the  very  best  cer- 
tificates from  gentlemen  holding  high  rank  in  the  French  naval 
service,  as  also  from  the  British  consul-general  on  the  coast 
of  Barbary,  testifying  to  his  general  good  conduct,  sobriety, 
and  truthfulness,  I  might  have  been  inclined  to  consider  the 
whole  affiiir  as  a  fabrication  designed  to  excite  sympathy  and 
compassion  for  his  sufferings. 

I  am,  he  commenced,  a  native  of  Greece.  >Vhilst  yet  a 
child  my  parents  emigrated  to  France,  and,  thanks  to  their 
kind  care  and  good  education,  I  was  at  the  age  of  eighteen  a 
civilized  European  in  manners  and  morals,  and  a  Protestant 
by  creed.  I  could  distinctly  discern  the  many  foibles  of  my 
poor,  illiterate,  but  crafty  countrymen.  At  the  same  time 
that  I  could  not  but  pity  their  defects  and  errors,  I  shunned 
their  society,  qonsidering  them  too  often  devoid  of  principle, 


164  EUROPE. 

and  so  wily  in  their  every  undertaking,  thought,  word,  and 
deed,  as  to  prove  dangerous  companions  or  associates,  and  sel- 
dom to  be  trusted  with  a  secret  or  a  dollar.  In  1835  I  entered 
the  French  service,  and  joined  a  war  steamer,  commanded  by 
a  post-captain  in  the  French  navy,  with  whom  I  remained 
during  a  period  of  ten  years,  and  whose  testimonials  as  to  my 
services  and  character  are  a  sufi&cient  passport  for  me  to  wofk 
my  way  in  any  part  of  civilized  Europe. 

In  the  month  of  December,  18 — ,  the  steamer  chanced  to 
be  lying  at  anchor  in  a  port  in  the  Levant ;  and  having  at  that 
time  a  sister  living  at  the  city  adjacent,  who  was  married  to  a 
lieutenant  in  the  Greek  artillery,  to  her  house  it  was  my  cus- 
tom to  repair  on  all  liherty  days,  or  on  other  occasions  when 
the  day's  work  was  over  and  I  could  obtain  permission  to  leave 
the  vessel  for  a  few  hours  in  the  evening. 

It  was  late  one  evening  in  December  that  I  obtained  leave 
of  absence  from  the  officer  of  the  watch,  purposing  to  visit  the 
shore  for  a  few  hours,  and  promising  to  be  on  board  agam 
before  midnight  at  the  latest.  I  little  thought,  on  quitting  the 
ship's  side,  that  I  should  be  compelled  that  night,  for  the  first 
time  in  my  life,  to  break  my  word.  It  happened  to  be  the  eve 
of  St.  Nicholas — a  day  celebrated  as  a  festival  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Greek  Church,  and  more  particularly  by  such 
amongst  her  inhabitants  as  chanced  to  be  named  after  that 
saint,  and  that  claimed  him  as  their  patron.  Amongst  these 
latter  was  my  brother-in-law ;  and  as  I  knew  that  on  the 
morrow  I  could  not  with  any  propriety  ask  leave  to  spend  the 
day  on  shore,  I  thought  I  would  go  up  to  his  house  for  a  few 
hours  that  evening,  carrying  with  me  a  souvenir,  in  the  shape 
of  a  richly-mounted  Turkish  pipe  that  I  had  purposely  brought 
with  me  from  Constantinople.  This  I  knew  would  prove  an 
acceptable  gift,  as  he  was  unhappily  an  inveterate  smoker. 

I  remained  later  than  usual  at  my  sister's  house  that  even- 
ing, for  the  weather  had  suddenly  set  in  boisterous  and  chilly, 
with  frequent  squalls  of  hail,  thunder,  and  lightning,  so  that  I 


AIS^   ADVENTUKE   IN   THE   LEVANT. 


165 


had  deferred  my  departure  to  the  very  last  moment,  hoping 
that  the  weather  might  clear  up  again.  It  was  not  till  some 
minutes  past  eleven  that  I  quitted  my  sister's  house,  despite 
her  tears  and  remonstrances  ;  for  I  was  determined,  if  possi- 
ble, to  be  punctual  to  my  promise. 

I  neither  met  nor  saw  any  one  until  I  had  arrived  almost 
within  hail  of  the  half-way  houses  ;  then,  for  the  first  time, 
through  the  gloom  that  surrounded  me  I  discerned  the  forms 
of  several  closely  muffled  figures,  moving  apparently  in  the 


CONSTANTINOPLE. 


same  direction  as  myself,  and  whom  I  supposed  to  be  captains 
or  mates  of  some  of  the  merchant  vessels  in  the  harbor,  who 
for  the  sake  of  better  security  were  keeping  together  till  they 


166  EtTEOPE. 

should  reach  their  respective  boats.  I  immediately  availed 
myself  of  such  a  favorable  convoy,  and,  quickening  my  pace, 
was  soon  alongside  of  the  strangers.  After,  exchanging  salu- 
tations and  commenting  on  the  wretched  state  of  the  weather, 
I  inquired  if  their  destination  was  the  same  as  mine,  and  was 
answered  in  the  affirmative.  As  we  proceeded  onwards,  I  had 
time  to  take  a  casual  glance  at  the  features  and  dress  of  my 
companions:  what  little  I  saw  at  once  convinced  me  that  I 
had  fallen  into  very  suspicious  company ;  and  if  the  slightest 
doubt  remained  as  to  their  real  character,  this  was  speedily  re- 
moved by  their  unblushing  demands  to  be  recompensed  for  the 
trouble  they  would  incur  in  keeping  me  company,  while  at  the 
same  time  they  kept  edging  up  and  hemming  me  in  on  all 
sides,  either  with  the  intention  of  rifling  my  person,  or  of  un- 
expectedly inflicting  a  mortal  stab,  which  might  enable  them 
to  collect  such  few  valuables  as  I  had  about  me  at  their  leisure, 
with  the  certainty  of  no  clue  remaining  that  might  lead  to 
their  ultimate  detection  ;  for  "  dead  men  tell  no  tales." 

I  could  see  that  they  were  well  armed,  and  knew  that  my 
only  hope  for  succor  was  the  close  vicinity  of  the  guard-house. 
Watching  my  opportunity,  I  made  a  rush  for  this  place  with 
such  impetuosity  as  nearly  to  upset  the  alarmed  sentry,  who 
was  hanging  indolently  over  a  wood  fire  lit  in  a  hole  dug  in 
the  centre  of  the  hovel. 

"  How  now?"  shouted  the  fierce  Albanian,  on  recovering 
his  self-possession  :  "  what  means  all  this  noise  and  hubbub  ?  " 

A  few  words  sufiiced  to  acquaint  the  soldier  with  the  real 
state  of  affairs  ;  and  as  my  suspicious  companions  had  passed 
on,  he  readily  agreed  to  my  sharing  the  pleasant  warmth  of 
the  fire  witlx  him.  As  the  heat  gradually  penetrated  my  many 
overcoats,  I  was  glad  to  strip  off  my  great  coat  and  hang  it  on 
a  nail  in  the  wall. 

The  Albanian  spoke  Greek  as  fluently  as  myself,  and  en- 
tered into  conversation  freely :  he  had  a  sorry  tale  of  want 
and  trouble  to  recount.     The  Government  never  paid,  though 


AN  ADVENTUEE  IN  THE  LEVANT.         167 

it  subjected  him,  he  said,  to  all  the  arduous  duties  of  a  serf. 
The  rations  of  himself  and  companions  were  insufficient,  and 
what  a  dog  would  barely  deign  to  partake  of ;  and  as  for  the 
meagre  cup  of  wine  served  out  to  them,  it  was  more  fit  to  be 
classed  as  exceedingly  bad  vinegar  than  any  thing  he  could 
compare  it  to  ;  and  then  the  Albanian  threw  out  immistakable 
hints  as  to  the  excellence  of  the  wine  sold  at  the  coffee  shops 
hard  by,  lamenting  his  poverty,  which  prevented  his  enabling 
him  to  taste  and  judge  for  himself.  Upon  hearing  this,  I  in- 
discreetly offered  to  treat  him ;  and  leaving  his  musket  to  take 
care  of  itself,  he  conducted  me  into  the  nearest  of  the  two 
caft^^  on  entering  which  I  discovered  that  there  were  a  non- 
commissioned officer  and  three  privates  seated  there,  drinking 
and  gambling.  All  were  Albanians  save  the  officer,  who, 
however,  seemed  well  versed  in  their  language,  and  they  all 
spoke  Turkish  fluently.  Unhappily  for  myself,  I  was  utterly 
ignorant  of  both  the  Albanian  and  Turkish  tongues.  In  treat- 
ing the  soldier  to  wine,  according  to  Levantine  etiquette,  I 
ordered  cups  to  be  served  all  round  to  his  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. I  drank  none  myself,  but  merely  sipped  it  out 
of  compliment  to  those  present.  The  change  of  atmosphere 
from  the  stifling  little  hovel  I  had  just  quitted  became  very 
soon  perceptible,  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  I  remembered 
having  forgotten  my  great  coat.  I  ran  over  to  fetch  it,  and 
on  my  way  back  hailed  a  species  of  van  that  was  passing,  and 
begged  the  driver  to  wait  a  few  moments  whilst  I  just  stepped 
in  and  paid  my  reckoning. 

After  settling,  and  pocketing  the  change,  I  turned  with  the 
intention  of  hastening  out  to  the  van,  when  to  my  astonishment 
and  indignation  the  officer  arrested  my  progress,  and  with 
drawn  sabre  in  hand  stood  in  the  door-way  and  ordered  the 
van  to  drive  off  immediately.  I  was  perfectly  paralyzed.  He 
told  me,  with  assumed  sternness,  that  I  had  been  recognized  as 
a  notorious  robber  and  brigand,  who  had  long  baffled  pursuit, 
and  that  I  only  exchanged  that  coffee  shop  for  a  dungeon  and 


168  EUEOPE. 

the  galleys  for  life.  It  was  in  vain  for  me  to  expostulate ; 
menaces  and  entreaties  were  equally  futile,  as  were  the  many 
references  I  gave  to  some  of  the  best  kno'\\Ti  and  most  respect- 
ed residents  of  the  adjacent  town.  His  only  reply  was,  that 
such  was  always  the  language  of  bad  characters.  He  now 
ordered  two  of  his  men  to  secure  me,  by  tieing  my  hands  to- 
gether with  a  bit  of  strong  cordage.  I  was  forced  to  submit 
tamely  to  this  painful  operation  ;  and  the  moment  that  I  was 
rendered  inoffensive,  the  miscreant  seized  the  scabbard  of  his 
sword,  and  beat  me  about  the  head  and  shoulders  in  a  most 
unmerciful  manner.  The  soldier  I  had  first  met  with  inter- 
fered on  my  behalf,  but  he  was  speedily  silenced  by  his  chief, 
and  sent  back  to  his  duty  in  the  guard-house. 

The  officer  and  his  guards,  assisted  by  the  inhuman  coffee 
shop  keeper,  held  long  and  earnest  counsel  together  in  a  lan- 
guage of  which  I  was  utterly  ignorant.  Meanwhile,  as  they 
kept  on  drinking,  hard  words  and  harder  blows  were  aimed 
at  my  unoffending  person,  and  my  pockets  were  ransacked  of 
watch  and  money.  Time  crept  on  slowly  and  heavily,  while 
I  stood  there,  bruised  and  wounded,  with  the  frosty  wind  chill- 
ing my  veins,  till  I  longed  for  the  arrival  of  the  hour  when  I 
should  be  marched  off*  to  prison,  and  be  at  least  free  of  the 
loathsome  proximity  of  my  tormentors.  At  length  the  word 
of  command  was  given.  One  Albanian  preceded  us  with  a 
lantern ;  the  officer  and  an  armed  soldier  marched  on  each 
side  of  me  ;  and  close  behind  me  was  the  third  Albanian,  with 
a  ready-cocked  musket  to  fire  at  me  if  I  offered  the  slightest 
resistance. 

To  my  surprise,  instead  of  marching  toward  the  town,  the 
party  made  a  detour  and  came  to  the  back  of  the  larger  of  the 
coffee  houses ;  and  there,  at  that  still  hour  of  the  night,  I 
watched  one  of  them  as  with  the  lantern  he  groped  about, 
evidently  in  search  of  something.  At  length  he  stopped  and 
beckoned  us  to  approach  :  as  we  advanced  he  unlocked  a  sort 
of  concealed  door,  which  when  opened  disclosed  to  my  dis- 


AN  ADVENTUEE  m   THE  LEVANT.         169 

mayed  eyes  a  flight  of  steps  descending  into  the  bowels  of  the 
earth.  Down  these  they  forced  me,  and,  as  the  last  man  de- 
scended, I  heard  the  door  close  (as  I  then  thought)  upon  me 
and  the  world  forever.  I  counted  eight  steps,  and  then  we 
came  to  another  door,  which  swung  heavily  on  its  hinges  as 
the  Albanian  forced  it  open.  This  led  into  a  stone  vault,  of 
about  twelve  feet  square  by  eight  feet  high.  Opposite  to  the 
entrance  door  there  was  a  second  one,  against  which  the  man 
with  the  loaded  musket  was  stationed,  while  the  lantern-bearer 
guarded  the  door  of  entrance.  I  could  no  longer  have  any 
doubt  as  to  my  fate  ;  but  the  love  of  life  was  never  so  dear  to 
me  as  at  that  moment.  Mastering  my  emotions  as  well  as  I 
could,  I  warned  my  assailants  to  be  aware  of  what  the  con- 
sequences must  be,  so  soon  as  I  should  be  missed  by  my  mess- 
mates and  friends  :  I  implored  them  to  remember  that  I  was 
the  sole  support  of  my  family ;  in  short,  I  used  every  descrip- 
tion of  entreaty  and  exhortation ;  but  I  might  as  well  have 
spoken  to  the  winds.  The  chief  fell  upon  me,  armed  with  a 
cudgel ;  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  protruding  angles  of  the 
corner  into  which  I  had  retreated,  and  the  lowness  of  the 
room,  both  of  which  aided  in  warding  off  the  blows,  the  con- 
sequences must  have  been  fatal.  Tired  and  exhausted,  at 
length  he  let  fall  the  club,  and,  seizing  on  the  sentry's  musket, 
took  deliberate  aim  at  my  unprotected  breast,  and  pulled  the 
trigger.  I  heard  the  steel  click,  and  then,  for  a  few  seconds, 
which  appeared  hours  to  me,  all  was  darkness  and  delirium. 

There  was  no  report ;  the  gun  had  missed  fire :  the  last 
expiriiig  spark  of  hope  was  rekindled.  I  glanced  anxiously 
at  the  musket,  and  the  flint  was  gone.  Eagerly  did  they  seek 
and  grope  about  for  it  on  the  ground'.  At  this  moment  I  heard 
the  vault  open,  and  saw  a  fifth  figure  descend  into  the  vault : 
he  had  evidently  been  watching  against  surprise,  and,  hearing 
the  turmoil  below  cease,  had  imagined  all  over,  and  now  came 
to  claim  his  share  of  booty.  The  strength  of  Samson  was 
upon  me :  with  one  mighty  effort  I  disentangled  my  hands ; 
8 


170 


EUEOPE. 


with  a  bound  I  had  gained  the  steps  and  dashed  the  lantern 
into  atoms ;  another  bound  and  I  was  in  the  open  air.  I 
stopped  not  to  think  or  look  behind,  but  fled  on  the  wings  of 
terror  over  that  dark  country  in  the  darkest  hour  of  night.  I 
scaled  garden  walls,  fell  and  was  maimed,  yet  ran  on  still  for 
my  life,  for  my  enemies  were  on  the  track.  It  was  four  o'clock 
next  morning  when  I  reached  the  house  of  a  friend ;  and  no 
sooner  had  I  passed  the  threshold  than  I  sank  down  and 
swooned  away. 

The  rest  is  soon  told.  Bruised  and  maimed  as  I  was,  I 
early  next  day  repaired  to  the  French  consul.  He  at  first  re- 
fused me  an  interview ;  I  persisted,  however,  and  was  at 
length  shown  into  his  bedroom.  He  chose  to  doubt  my  word. 
I  told  him  that  the  French  war  steamer  would  soon  settle  that 
point.  On  this  he  thought  better  of  it,  and  wrote  to  the  com- 
mandant. The  subterranean  vault  was  examined,  the  guilty 
parties  imprisoned,  and  the  whole  of  my  statements,  together 
with  the  medical  certificates  given  me,  are  to  this  day  to  be 
seen  in  the  archives  of  the  French  embassy. 


MOSQUE  OF  ST.   SOPHIA. 


THE  GEYSERS  OF  ICELAND.  171 


THE  GEYSERS  OF  ICELAND. 

The  Geysers  of  Iceland,,  like  most  volcanic  phenomena  in 
other  regions,  are  changeable  in  their  action,  and  from  time  to 
time  alter  in  their  character  and  appearance.  Some  of  them, 
it  is  a  well-ascertained  fact,  are  steadily  increasing  in  activity 
and  intensity,  while  others  are  as  distinctly  growing  weaker. 
Those  of  Hankedalr,  toward  the  southwestern  extremity  of  the 
island,  are  the  hot  springs  best  known  to  us ;  and  although 
there  can  be  little  question  that  they  fall  under  the  category 
of  diminishing  Geysers,  their  action  is  still  powerful,  and  their 
structure  most  remarkable.  These  Geysers,  according  to  well- 
authenticated  I(\elandic  history,  came  into  existence  in  the  15th 
century — namely,  in  the  year  1446.  What  phenomena  at- 
tended their  eruption  at  that  period  we  are  not  informed,  but 
their  action  is  understood  among  scientific  men  in  Iceland  to 
have  been  then  and  long  after  much  more  powerful  than  it  now 
is  ;  nor  is  the  statement  made  by  Olavsen  and  Paulson,  that 
the  eruption  of  the  Great  Geyser  in  the  year  1772  rose  to  the 
height  of  360  feet,  however  incredible  in  our  eyes,  at  all  dis- 
believed by  well-informed  men  in  that  country.  It  is  situated 
at  the  foot  of  Langarfiall,  a  crag  about  300  feet  high,  upon 
rather  elevated  flat  ground,  commanding  a  wide  open  view 
over  a  fine  verdant  plain  to  the  east  and  south,  Blafell  and 
other  mountains  partly  capped  with  snow  rising  to  the  north 
with  great  magnificence.  Even  the  white  point  of  Hecla  may 
be  distinguished  in  this  locality  some  thirty  miles  distant. 
This  field  slopes  to  the  south,  and  also  falls  away  toward  the 
river  on  the  east,  so  that  the  great  Geyser  is  situated  not  only 
toward  the  northern,  but  also  on  the  higher  portion  of  the 
ground.  The  Strokr  is  distant  about  120  yards  southward  of 
the  Geyser,  and  the  little  Strokr  perhaps  100  yards  still  farther 
south  and  in  nearly  a  direct  line.  These  are  the  three  prin- 
cipal springs  at  present  erupting,  and  although  there  are  from 


172 


EUROPE. 


forty  to  fifty  other  apertures  in  the  vicinity,  and  particularly 
toward  the  lower  or  southern  extremity  of  the  field,  some  of 
which  emit  water  with  violent  ebullition  and  much  noise,  yet 
to  these  three  alone  can  the  title  of  either  Geyser  or  Strokr  be 
be  properly  applied — ^the  former,  that  is  the  Geyser,  meaning 
"  Agitator,"  and  the  latter  or  Strokr,  being  the  common  Ice- 


THE   GREAT 


landic  name  for  chum.  The  section  of  the  Geyser  may  bo 
compared  to  a  funnel,  its  pipe  or  orifice  resembling  the  stalk, 
and  its  cup  or  basin  the  head  of  that  utensil.  The  cup  is 
nearly  round,  its  diameters  taken  in  opposite  directions  being 


THE   GEYSEKS   OF  ICELAND.  173 

72  ft.  6  in.  and  68  ft.  1  in. ;  while  its  depth,  measuring  per- 
pendicularly from  a  line  drawn  across  its  margin,  appeared  to 
be  nearly  four  feet.  The  pipe  we  ascertained  to  be  83  ft.  2  in. 
inr depth,  and  rather  more  than  ten  feet  in  diameter.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances,  when  the  Geyser  is  quiescent,  this  cup 
and  pipe  are  filled  to  the  brim  with  limpid  hot  water,  which 
ever  and  anon,  but  at  totally  irregular  periods,  boils  up  in  the 
centre,  and  then  the  water  runs  over,  principally  at  the  points 
where  the  lip  is  a  few  inches  lower  than  elsewhere  in  the  cir- 
cle. This  is  a  mere  abortive  attempt;  when,  however,  an 
eruption  takes  place,  which  almost  invariably  is  preceded  by 
a  premonitory  subterranean  rumbling  noise,  resembling  the 
booming  of  a  distant  cannon,  and  by  a  trembling  of  the  earth 
under  foot,  which  affects  every  bone  of  the  body,  these  ebul- 
litions rise  higher,  first  in  a  mass  of  two  or  three  feet,  which 
opens  in  the  centre,  and  surges  outwards  like  a  wave,  and  then 
the  water  is  suddenly  ejected  into  the  air,  with  the  velocity 
and  din  of  some  hundred  sky-rockets,  the  entire  mound  being 
immediately  overflowed.  After  an  eruption,  the  water  recedes 
in  the  pipe,  and  not  only  is  the  cup  left  entirely  dry,  but  eight 
or  ten  feet  of  the  pipe  is  likewise  emptied.  The  inside  of  the 
pipe  appears  perfectly  smooth,  and  is  nearly  circular,  but  the 
cup,  or  upper  portion  of  the  funnel,  as  well  as  the  entire 
mound  outside  of  it,  are  both  covered  with  siliceous  incrus- 
tations, deposited  by  the  water,  and  doubtless  still  more  by  the 
volumes  of  steam  or  spray  arising  from  it. 

Both  of  the  Strokrs  differ  from  the  Geyser  in  being  mere 
round  holes  or  pipes,  neither  funnel-shaped  at  their  orifices 
nor  raised  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  likewise 
differ  from  it  in  the  fact  that  they  afford  no  premonitory  symp- 
ton  of  a  coming  eruption — no  previous  warning,  but  all  at 
once  dart  into  the  atmosphere  with  extreme  violence.  The 
depth  of  the  Strokr  approximates  to  that  of  the  Great  Geyser 
— ^being,  according  to  our  measurement,  87^  feet,  but  the 
diameter  of  its  pipe  is  rather  under  9  feet.     Shortly  after  our 


174  •  EUEOPE. 

arrival,  the  guides  cut  about  a  barrowful  of  turf,  whicli  they 
threw  into  this  Strokr.  This  at  first  apparently  stopped  the 
violent  ebullition  which  can  be  seen  always  going  forward  in 
this  remarkable  spring  at  the  depth  of  10  or  12  feet,  but  -in 
the  course  of  ten  minutes  it  began  to  roar,  and  then  we  had 
an  instantaneous  and  truly  magnificent  eruption.  The  water 
did  not  appear  in  a  column  as  most  fountains  do,  but  in  a  con- 
tinued intermittent  series  of  many  jets  all  at  one  moment,  hav- 
ing different  forces,  and  unitedly  presenting  one  grand  pyra- 
midal jet-d'eau  of  the  most  symmetrical  and  graceful  descrip- 
tion. Calculating  from  a  little  distance,  in  proportion  to  the 
figures  standing  by  it,  we  were  satisfied  that  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal ejections  on  this  occasion — and  there  were  fully  thirty 
of  them,  lasting  in  all  about  ten  minutes — ^must  have  been 
from  90  to  100  feet  in  height,  and,  darkened  as  the  water 
naturally  appeared  from  the  turf  thrown  into  it,  the  efiect  was 
exceedingly  striking. 

The  Little  Strokr  is  very  violent  and  very  noisy.  Its 
eruptions  are  feathery  and  extremely  beautiful,  although  it 
rarely  rises  above  30  feet,  and,  from  the  less  regular  form  of 
its  orifice,  is  not  so  symmetrical  as  its  larger  namesake.  The 
action  of  these  hot  springs  during  eruption  is  not  that  of  a 
mass  of  water  driven  up  in  column,  as  the  description  and 
drawings  of  most  previous  visitors  would  lead  one  tp  expect. 
The  old  print,  published  by  Sir  John  Stanley  so  far  back  as 
1789,  comes  nearer  what  we  witnessed  than  any  thing  bearing 
more  recent  date.  Instead  of  a  column,  it  is  rather  that  of  a 
multitude  of  jets  possessing  difierent  intensities,  all  working 
simultaneously,  so  that,  whilst  a  few  of  them  rise  perpendic- 
ularly and  attain  the  highest  elevation,  others  having  less 
power  apparently  stop  short,  and  others  again,  being  slightly 
inclined,  are  thrown  out  somewhat  obliquely — all  this,  be  it 
remembered,  at  one  and  the  same  moment,  the  jets  intermit- 
ting, altering,  and  repeating  their  action  with  the  utmost 
rapidity,  and  affording  to  an  onlooker,  on  a  quiet  day,  one  of 


THE   GEYSEK8   OF   ICELAND. 


1Y5 


the  most  sublime  and  magnificent  objects  in  nature.  No 
doubt  the  ejection  from  the  orifice  of  the  pipe  takes  place  in 
a  columnar  mass.  This  we  distinctly  observed  it  did  at  the 
Great  Geyser,  to  the  height  of  10  to  15  feet  above  the  rim  of 
the  cup  ;  but  being  accompanied,  as  these  eruptions  of  boiling 
water  naturally  are,  by  vast  volumes  of  steam,  and  withal  so 
rapidly  changeful  in  their  movements,  it  is  not  easy  to  ascer- 
tain exactly  what  goes  on  near  the  orifice  at  the  moment  of 
propulsion.     But  under  no  circumstance  did  this  column,  as  it 


SECTION  OF  AN  INTERMITTING  SPRING. 


i^.^ 


SECTION   OF  A   GEYSER, 


,^^ 


issued  ten  feet  in  diameter  from  the  mouth  of  the  pipe,  remain 
long  in  that  form.  It  surged  outwards,  and  was  immediately 
forced  up  in  jets,  which,  rising  abruptly  above  the  volumes  of 
steam,  broke  in  the  most  graceful  feathery  masses  in  every 
direction.  Stones  thrown  in,  and  particularly  the  masses  of 
turf  with  which  we  fed  the  Strokr,  were  driven  out  to  the 
highest  extremity  of  these  jets,  some  of  them  falling  outwards, 
and  others  dropping  into  the  vortex,  and  being  a  second  or  a 
third  time  driven  into  the  atmosphere. 

The  French,  who  watched  them  for  six  days  successively, 
state  that  at  least  the  Great  Geyser  and  the  Strokr  have  some 


176  EUEOPE. 

connection,  and  that  the  action  of  the  one  depends  upon  the 
movements  of  the  other.  The  temperature  of  the  Great 
Geyser  at  the  bottom  was  ascertained  by  Bunsen  to  be  260° 
of  Fahrenheit,  lessening  as  it  ascends  toward  the  surface,  and 
is  stated  by  the  French  as  270°  near  the  bottom,  219°  half 
way  up,  and  212°  at  the  surface,  and  that  of  the  Strokr  at 
about  30  feet  deep  they  found  to  be  230°.  The  contents  of  its 
waters  are  principally  silica,  with  some  soda,  but  no  sulphur, 
although  the  vapor  at  the  moment  of  emission  has  a  slightly- 
sulphurous  odor.  We  used  it  for  all  culinary  purposes,  boil- 
ing our  lamb,  dissolving  our  portable  soup,  infusing  our  tea, 
concocting  our  whisky  toddy,  all,  of  course,  without  fire,  and 
when  cooled  it  is  excellent  drinking  water.  I  close  these 
remarks  by  noticing  a  few  of  the  recent  changes  which  are 
observable  in  this  locality.  Sir  John  Stanley  in  1789  found  the 
pipe  of  the  Geyser  61  feet  deep  and  8|-  in  diameter.  The 
funnel,  or  basin,  as  he  terms  it,  is  stated  at  that  period  to  have 
been  8  feet  in  depth  and  60  feet  in  diameter.  "  Both  of  these," 
he  says,  "  have  been  evidently  formed  by  gradual  deposition 
from  the  water,  and  a  mound  round  them  has  in  like  manner 
been  formed  30  feet  high,  and  extending  in  various  directions 
to  distances  of  80,  100,  or  120  feet."  The  great  eruptions, 
which  by  theodolite  he  ascertained  to  rise  96  feet,  took  place 
every  two  hours,  and  lasted  15  to  20  minutes.  The  Strokr  he 
states  to  be  6  feet  10  inches  in  diameter,  and  its  eruption  to  be 
much  more  columnar  than  that  of  the  Geyser,  and  rising  to 
the  height  of  132  feet.  In  1810  Sir  George  Mackenzie  found 
the  pipe  60  feet  deep  and  10  in  diameter,  and  its  basin  only  3 
feet  deep,  and  from  46  to  58  feet  across — the  configuration  of 
the  latter  in  his  time  not  being  round,  but  indented,  as  it  were, 
at  one  side.  The  Geyser  eruption  he  estimated  as  rising  to  90 
feet,  and  the  periods  of  its  action  were  more  frequent  than 
now.  The  Strokr,  Sir  George  says,  played  magnificently  to 
the  height  of  70  feet  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time.  Henderson, 
in  1815,  who  paid  the  locality  two  visits,  estimated  the  Geyser 


THE   GEYSEES   OF  ICELAND.  177 

eruption  at  150  feet,  and  that  of  the  Strokr  as  even  higher 
than  200  feet.  The  French  in  1836  made  the  depth  of  the 
Geyser  75|  feet,  the  breadth  of  the  basin  52i,  the  height  of 
its  eruptions  105,  and  the  diameter  of  the  pipe  16  feet.  The 
Strokr  they  noticed  to  rise  to  the  height  of  92  feet,  and  the 
diameter  of  its  pipe  they  give  at  8  feet,  and  its  depth  at  65 
feet.  Professor  Bunsen,  in  1846,  who  spent  11  days  upon  the 
locality,  found  the  Geyser  about  66  feet  deep,  and  estimated 
its  eruption  at  43  up  to  57  metres  ;  that  is,  140  up  to  177  feet. 
The  Strokr,  he  says,  is  43  feet  deep,  and  only  7  in  diameter, 
and  he  estimated  its  eruption  at  160  feet.  Comparing  these 
descriptions  and  measurements  with  each  other  and  with  our 
own,  it  is  pretty  evident,  that  whether  the  intensity  of  the 
eruptions  of  these  Geysers  be  greater  or  less  now  than  they 
have  been  during  the  past  seventy  years,  they  assuredly  have 
fallen  off  exceedingly,  both  in  their  frequency  and  in  their 
duration.  No  doubt  the  action  is  more  powerful  at  one  time 
than  another,  or  at  one  season  than  another  ;  indeed  it  is  be- 
lieved to  be  more  so  in  damp  and  wet  weather  than  during  dry 
seasons.  The  supply  of  water  to  the  springs  must  vary,  and 
the-  evaporation  at  the  surface,  dependent  on  the  currents  of 
air,  may  also  have  its  effect  upon  their  action.  Still,  that  the 
quantity  of  water  emitted  from  them,  on  the  whole,  is  much 
less  than  it  once  was,  there  can  be  no  question.  K  the  diam- 
eter of  the  pipe  really  alters,  the  diminished  action  is  readily 
accounted  for.  But  of  any  such  alteration  I  am  extremely 
skeptical ;  for,  as  the  edge  or  rim  of  the  pipe  widens  out  some- 
what gradually  into  the  funnel,  it  is  most  probable  that  meas- 
urements have  in  some  instances  been  taken  higher  up  than 
the  perpendicular  portion  of  the  pipe,  the  latter  being  a  point 
which  in  fact  cannot  be  reached  by  the  hand.  Sir  John  Stan- 
ley found  these  great  eruptions  of  the  Geysers  take  place  every 
two  hours.  Henderson,  in  1815,  says  that  the  Geyser  erupted 
in  the  most  imposing  manner  every  six  hours.  We  waited 
twenty-seven  hours  before  any  thing  of  the  kind  occurred; 
8* 


178  ErEOPE. 

and  the  eruptions  of  the  Strokr,  which  Sir  George.  Mackenzie 
gazed  upon  for  a  half  hour  at  a  time,  never  now  last  above 
eight  or  ten  minutes.  Another  obvious  change  has  been  going 
forward,  and  is  still  progressing,  in  the  mound  of  the  Geyser, 
arising  from  the  rapid  deposit  of  siliceous  matter  upon  its 
sides.  The  edge  of  this  mound  forms  the  rim  of  the  circular 
cup,  which  Sir  John  Stanley  and  Sir  George  Mackenzie  both 
describe  at  about  60  feet  across.  This  has  now  extended,  still, 
however,  in  a  nearly  circular  form,  to  no  less  than  68  by  72, 
and  the  size  and  bulk  of  the  mound  must  have  correspondingly 
increased.  On  the  whole  such  decided  changes  upon  the  aspect 
of  these  Hankedalr  Geysers,  leave  little  doubt  that  their  action 
is  becoming  rapidly  weaker,  and  that  the  time  may  not  be  far 
distant  when  their  forces,  like  those  of  Hecla,  in  the  vicinity, 
will  become  nearly  quiescent.  There  are  other  similar  hot 
springs  in  the  island,  especially  to  the  south,  which  are  known, 
on  the  contrary,  to  be  steadily  increasing. 


AMONG   THE    RUSSIANS. 

THE   WINTER  PALACE. 

"We  found  ourselves  at  eight  o'clock  one  morning  in  St. 
Petersburg  driving  to  Zahringer's  Hotel  in  the  Admiralty- 
square,  and  which,  for  the  information  of  fellow-travellers,  I 
may  here  say  we  found  very  comfortable,  with  reasonable 
charges.  We  had  two  large  rooms  on  the  second  floor  look- 
ing on  the  Place  de  I'Amiraute.  They  were  fitted  up,  one  as 
a  dining-rooDfi  and  the  other  as  a  drawing-room,  with  screens, 
behind  which  were  beds.  For  these  we  paid  fourteen  shillings 
a  day.  The  house  was  clean  and  the  cuisine  good,  without 
being  too  expensive. 

As  we  drove  down  the  splendid  street  called  Nevskoi  Per- 
spective, nearly  two  miles  in  length,  we  saw  by  the  mounted 


AMONG  THE  EUSSIANS.  179 

gendarmes  in  their  light-blue  uniforms,  stationed  at  close  inter- 
vals, that  a  fete  was  on  the  tapis. 

On  inquiry,  we  were  told  that  the  emperor  was  to  take 
part  in  a  grand  procession  to  the  Alexander  Nevskoi  church 
and  monastery.  "We  turned  out  to  see  what  was  going  on, 
and  were  just  in  time  to  catch  the  end  of  it,  but,  owing  to  the 
great  crowd,  were  unable  to  obtain  more  than  a  glimpse  of  the 
emperor.  There  was  the  usual  long  line  of  priests,  who,  as 
they  passed  where  we  were  standing,  came  to  a  halt,  and 
chanted  a  hymn  in  front  of  one  of  the  emperor's  palaces. 
The  empress  had  just  entered,  and  the  crowd  were  cheering 
her.  There  were  the  state  carriages,  nine  in  number,  drawn 
some  by  eight  and  others  by  six  horses',  reminding  one  of  a 
similar  scene  when  her  majesty  opens  the  parliamentary 
session  in  London. 

Of  course  we  paid  a  visit  to  the  Winter  Palace,  to  enter 
which  the  gentlemen  are  obliged  to  put  on  their  dress-coats, 
which  is  an  absurd  nuisance.  The  palace  was  undergoing 
repairs  and  decorations.  The  old  palace,  built  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1837,  and  the 
present  one  is  reputed  by  the  Russians  themselves  to  be  the 
most  magnificent  and  extensive  royal  palace  in  existence.  It 
is  situated  on  the  Neva,  which  is  here,  and  for  a  considerable 
space  beyond,  embanked  by  a  wall  and  parapet  of  granite, 
which  sparkles  brightly  in  the  sunlight.  The  front  of  the 
palace  extends  upwards  of  seven  hundred  English  feet,  is 
almost  square,  and  is  three  stories  high.  We  were  shown  a 
corner  room  looking  on  the  river,  which  his  present  majesty 
uses  as  his  own  particular  one,  and  where  he  transacts  his 
daily  work.  When  the  imperial  family  are  residing  here,  it  is 
said  that  upwards  of  six  thousand  people  are  quartered  in  the 
building. ,  The  room,  or  rather  hall,  in  which  the  empress  re- 
ceives her  guests,  has  its  walls  almost  covered  with  gold ;  but 
St.  George's  Hall,  in  which  there  is  a  magnificent  throne,  is 
the  chief  apartment.     It  is  150  feet  long  by  60  feet  wide,  and 


180 


EUEOPE. 


although  not  appearing  to  advantage,  in  consequence  of  the 
numbers  of  workmen  engaged  in  the  redecorations,  is  one  of 
the  most  splendid  and  noble  apartments  we  had  ever  seen,  and 
it  is  in  this  that  the  emperor  receives  the  foreign  ambassadors. 
Near  this  hall  is  a  picture  gallery  of  the  generals  who  served 
during  the  invasion  of  1812  and  the  subsequent  battles,  and 
beyond  it  is  the  field-marshal's  gallery,  in  which  "  our  Duke  " 
has  a  permanent  place. 


THB  emperor's  PALACE,    ST.   PETERSBURG. 


In  a  part  of  the  palace,  away  from  these  grand  public 
rooms,  we  were  shown  into  a  smaU  apartment  whicK  the  late 
emperor  used  as  his  bedi'oom,  and  in  which  he  died.  The 
furniture  was  simple  enough,  with  a  small  camp  bed  without 
curtains,  at  the  head  of  which,  on  the  wall,  was  a  picture  of  a 
favorite  daughter,  whilst  on  his  writing  and  toilet  tables  every- 
thing, down  to  his  pocket-handkerchief,  Avas  left  as  he  had 
used  them  just  before  his  death. 


AMONG.  THE  RUSSIANS.  181 

A  secret  staircase  communicated  with  the  empress's  room 
below,  which  was  fitted  up  and  furnished — as  ladies*  rooms 
should  be — very  handsomely. 

On  the  side  of  the  palace,  forming  part  of  the  Admiralty- 
square,  was  a  huge  cylinder,  partly  sunk  in  the  ground,  con- 
structed for  an  open-air  fixe  in  the  winter  for  the  benefit  of  the 
coachmen  and  servants  whilst  waiting  at  night  for  their  mas- 
ters. Certainly  a  necessary  precaution  in  a  climate  where  the 
frost  is  so  intense  as  to  have  cracked  the  solid  granite  column 
erected  close  by  to  the  honor  and  memory  of  Alexander  the 
First.  The  Hermitage,  adjoining  the  Winter  Palace,  contains 
acres  of  pictures — ^Vandykes,  Raphaels,  Corregios,  Murillos, 
and,  in  fact,  all  the  celebrated  masters.  It  would  take  weeks 
to  see  thoroughly,  and  a  volume  to  describe,  the  treasures  and 
curiosities  collected  here. 

From  one  of  the  treasure-rooms  in  this  building,  notwith- 
standing the  attendant's  presence,  was  stolen,  some  few  years 
ago,  a  very  valuable  ring.  This,  as  we  were  informed,  was 
sold  by  the  thief  to  a  jeweller,  who  sold  it  again  to  some  one 
who  made  it  a  present  to  one  of  the  members  of  the  imperial 
family.  It  was  immediately  recognized,  inquiries  set  on  foot, 
and  the  thief  discovered.  As  he  was  of  considerable  standing 
and  position,  the  matter  was,  as  is  not  unusual  in  Russia, 
hushed  up,  and  but  few  people  know  his  name. 

The  room  containing  the  crowns,  precious  stones,  and 
jewels  of  the  imperial  family,  should  on  no  account  be  passed 
by  without  a  visit.  The  emperor's  crown  is  ornamented  with 
oak  leaves  formed  of  the  largest  and  purest  diamonds,  whilst 
the  imperial  sceptre  is  resplendent  with  one  diamond,  which  is 
said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world,  and  to  have  been  bought 
by  Catherine  the  Second.  On  either  side  of  the  door  admit- 
ting to  this  room  are  armed  sentries,  and,  calling  to  mind  the 
daring  attempt  of  Col.  Blood  and  his  friend  Mr.  Parrett  in 
1671  to  walk  off  with  the  crown  of  England  and  the  para- 
phernalia— in  which,  by  the  way,  the  two  scamps  were  nearly 


182  EUROPE. 

successful — one  need  not  be  surprised  that  in  Russia  such  pre- 
cautions as  armed  sentries  are  resorted  to  even  in  1862. 

The  "Hermitage"  was  erected  by  Catherine  11.  It  es- 
caped the  great  fire  in  1837,  being  saved  by  the  exertions  of 
the  military  and  Mujiks. 

This  building  is  connected  with  the  Winter  Palace  by 
covered  galleries,  and  may  be  said  to  be  a  continuation  of  the 
palace  itself. 

The  collection  of  paintings  occupies  at  least  forty  rooms, 
and  must  be  of  enormous  value.  The  ground  floor  is  filled 
with  statuary,  some  being  very  choice  specimens.  In  this 
building  is  also  a  library*  consisting  of  more  than  fifteen  thou- 
sand volumes  in  the  Russian  language.  This  library  was 
formed  by  Catherine  for  the  instruction  of  her  numerous  at- 
tendants, sdhd  in  it  are  also  the  collections  of  Voltaire  and 
other  remarkable  men,  comprising,  altogether,  upwards  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  volimies. 

In  one  of  the  rooms  is  a  magnificent  vase  of  lilac  jasper 
from  Siberia,  standing  five  feet  high,  of  an  elegant  design,  and 
very  highly  polished.  There  are  also  tripods,  which  are  said 
to  be  of  solid  gold,  seven  feet  high,  supporting  golden  salvers, 
on  which  bread  and  salt  were  handed  to  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander on  his  return  from  Paris  in  1815.  There  is  also  a  very 
curious  clock,  called  the  Peacock's  Clock,  which  the  attendant 
informed  us  was  of  English  manufacture,  which  I  doubt,  and 
which  was  presented  by  Prince  Potemkin  to  his  royal  mistress 
and  sovereign.  It  is  enclosed  in  a  glass  case,  ten  or  twelve 
feet  high  :  the  form  of  the  clock  is  that  of  a  tree,  the  branches 
and  leaves  being  of  gold  ;  a  peacock  sits  on  the  top  of  the  tree, 
and  playfully  expands  his  gaudy  tail  when  the  chimes  ring ; 
but  as  the  machinery  is  out  of  order,  and  the  chimes  never  do 
ring,  the  peacock  gets  a  rest,  as  does  also  the  gold  cock,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  flap  his  wings  and  crow  to  mark  the  hours. 

In  the  lower  rooms  may  be  seen  more  of  the  working  tools 
of  Peter  the  Great,  with  numerous  articles  of  his  own  manu 


AMONG   THE  RUSSIANS.  183 

factiire,  such  as  bars  of  iron  wrought  by  his  hand,  models  of 
ships,  and  samples  of  rope.  In  fact,  his  majesty  must  have 
been  a  regular  Jack-of-all-trades  ;  but  I  confess  that  he  appears 
to  have  differed  from  the  generality  of  that  class,  in  so  far. as 
he  seems  to  have  been  a  tolerable  master  of  many  of  them. 

MOSCOW  AND  THE  KEEMLIN". 

We  arrived  at  Moscow  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  not 
much  fatigued,  after  sixteen  hours  in  the  railway.  Before  we 
had  finished  our  travelling,  we  became  accustomed  to  the  long 
sederunts  in  the  railway  carriages,  thinking  nothing  of  passing 
three  nights  out  of  six'in  them. 

Moscow,  called  in  the  Russian  language  Moskwa,  is 
situated  on  the  banks  of  a  river  of  that  name,  and  was  for 
a  long  period  prior  to  1703  the  capital  of  the  Russian  Govern- 
ment, but  in  that  year  Peter  the  Great  transferred  the  seat  of 
government  to  St.  Petersburg.  The  form  of  the  city  is  that 
of  an  irregular  rhomboid,  and  its  outside  wall  is  said  to  be 
nearly  twenty-six  English  miles  in  length,  but  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  within  it  there  are  many  public  and  private  gar- 
dens, walks,  and  parks,  which  are  laid  out  with  great  taste, 
and  constitute  a  very  pleasant  feature  of  this  great  city, 

Moscow  appears  to  have  undergone  some  rough  treatment 
in  its  time.  Three  hundred  years  ago  the  Tartars  twice  sacked 
and  then  burned  it ;  on  the  last  of  which  events  it  is  said  that 
nearly  one  hundred  thousand  persons  perished  by  fire  and 
sword.  Then  came  accidental  conflagrations,  destroying  large 
portions  of  the  city ;  whilst  in  the  early  half  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  the  Poles,  who  seem  at  various  times  to  have  been 
very  troublesome  to  the  Russians,  captured  Moscow,  laid  a 
great  part  of  it  in  ashes,  and  retained  possession  of  it  for  three 
or  four  years.  In  1812,  the  inhabitants  set  fire  to  it,  by  way 
of  making  things  unpleasant  to  Napoleon  I.,  who  had  calcu- 
lated on  passing  the  winter  within  its  walls. 


184  EUROPE. 

The  Kremlin  is  in  the  centre  of  Moscow.  It  is  surrounded 
with  walls,  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  thick,  with  towers  and 
five  gates,  of  which  latter,  one  is  called  the  Holy  Gate,  or  Gate 
of  the  Saviour,  in  consequence  of  the  picture  of  Our  Saviour 
placed  over  it,  and  which  is  said,  and  the  inhabitants  believe, 
to  have  been  painted  by  St.  Luke.  Every  one  on  passing 
under  this  gate,  and  for  about  ten  yards  afterwards,  must  take 
off  his  hat.  The  first  time  we  drove  under  it,  the  stupid 
courier  did  not  tell  us  that  it  was  the  Holy  Gate,  and  I  sat 
composedly  with  my  hat  on  as  usual. 

We  had  not  gone,  however,  two  or  three  yards,  when  Qur 
coachman,  looking  back,  saw  me  with  my  head  covered,  and 
began  such  a  series  of  contortions  of  body  and  face  that  I  felt 
there  must  be  something  wrong,  and  so  uncovered  just  in  time 
to  escape  the  eye  of  the  sentry  placed  there  to  secure  obedience 
to  the  regulation,  and  to  save  myself  the  annoyance  of  being 
sent  back. 

I  only  recovered  my  equanimity  by  heartily  abusing  the 
courier,  who,  I  believe,  purposely  kept  me  in  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  I  was  passing  under  the  gate  of  gates. 

We  were  unsuccessful  in  obtaining  access  to  the  cathedral 
of  the  Assumption,  which  is  stated  to  have  been  founded  in 
1326,  and  to  be  the  most  splendid  among  the  many  splendid 
churches  in  Moscow.  It  is  in  this  cathedral  that  the  Russian 
sovereigns  are  crowned.  Within  the  Kremlin  walls  there  are 
upwards  of  thirty  cathedrals  and  churches. 

There  is  also  the  magnificent  tower  or  belfry  of  Ivan 
Velike,  and  near  its  base,  on  a  pedestal,  the  great  bell  of  Mos- 
cow, cast  in  the  reign  of  the  Empress  Anne.  There  is  a  large 
piece  out  of  it,  by  which  the  visitor  is  better  enabled  to  judge 
of  its  enormous  thickness.  This  bell  is  said  to  weigh  upwards 
of  four  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  English  weight,  and  that 
whilst  being  cast,  the  religious  feelings  of  the  people  were  so 
excited,  that  those  who  had  the  means  threw  pieces  of  gold 
and  silver  into  the  burning  mass.     On  the  outside  of  it  is  a 


AMONG  THE  RUSSIANS. 


185 


female  figure,  supposed  to  represent  the  empress,  and  beneath 
is  a  border  of  flowers.  It  is  held  in  great  veneration  by  the 
people. 

Under  the  western  walls  of  the  Kremlin  is  a  very  pleasant 
public  garden,  which  is  much  resorted  to  by  the  inhabitants  of 
that  quarter  of  the  town,  and  which  was  brilliantly  illuminated 
during  our  visit  on  the  night  of  the  emperor's  fete. 


THE   CITY   OP  MOSCOW 


We  had  been  told,  when  at  Moscow,  to  ask  for  a  species 
of  white  bread  called  kalatch,  for  which  that  city  has  for  cen- 
turies been  famous.  It  is  made  in  the  shape  of  a  flat  hand- 
basket,  and,  when  eaten  hot  with  lots  of  butter,  reminds  an 
English  stomach  of  a  married  muffin  and  crumpet.  In  Mos- 
cow there  are  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  venders  of  this 
article.  A  fellow-traveller  on  the  railroad  told  us  that  when- 
ever he  went  to  Moscow  in  the  winter  he  took  back  to  St. 
Petersburg  a  supply  of  this  bread,  hanging  it  out  of  the  win- 
dow to  freeze. 

We  found  that  the  emperor  was  here,  and  in  the  evening 


186  EUEOPE. 

there  was  a  grand  military  illumination  at  the  camp,  about 
two  miles  out  of  the  town.  There  was  a  long  line  of  blazing 
tar-barrels,  extending  for  six  versts,  sky-rockets,  roman-can- 
dles,  and  every  description  of  fireworks.  The  crowd  was 
immense,  and  the  emperor  was  present  in  a  tent  in  the  centre 
of  the  camp. 

Moscow  contains  a  population  of  320,000,  240  parish 
churches,  33  other  churches  and  chapels,  and  21  monasteries 
and  convents.  About  ten  years  ago  a  new  church  of  vast 
dimensions,  dedicated  to  our  Saviour,  was  commenced,  and  is 
now  nearly  finished. 

As  a  place  of  residence,  many  prefer  Moscow  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, the  climate  of  the  former  being  more  equal,  and  not  so 
much  exposed  to  strong  winds  and  storms  ;  but  its  badly-paved 
streets  would  be  found  a  considerable  drawback  by  the  inhab- 
itant of  London  or  Paris.  In  driving  through  them,  any 
attempt  at  conversation  is  out  of  the  question,  unless  your 
companion  has  the  lungs  of  a  Stentor,  and  you  have  your  ears 
very  wide  open.  At  Moscow'  there  is  no  tariff  for  the  hack- 
ney carriages,  which  some  people  teU  you  is  in  the  interest  of 
the  public,  and  that  they  get  better  served  without  one.  To 
those  who  can  speak  the  language,  and  who  know  the  distances, 
this  may  be  so,  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  it  is  the  case 
as  regards  the  travelling  public.  We  paid,  after  the  usual  pre- 
liminary wrangle,  five  shillings  for  a  miserable  two-horse  affair 
from  the  station  to  the  hotel,  a  distance  of  about  a  mile — our 
luggage  going  in  some  other  conveyance,  for  which,  of  course, 
we  had  to  pay  in  addition. 

Here  we  saw  a  tremendous  procession  of  priests.  One  of 
the  two  archbishops  of  Moscow  was  going  to  mass,  accom- 
panied by  nearly  two  hundred  ecclesiastics,  besides  men  bear- 
ing banners  and  images,  machines  that  looked  for  aU  the  world 
like  small  square  four-post  bedsteads  adorned  with  white  silk 
curtains,  other  machines  that  resembled  small  round  temples, 
the  contents  of  which,  whatever  they  were,  were  concealed  by 


THE  VALE  OF  AVOCA.  187 

red  curtains  drawn  closely  round ;  and  other  contrivances,  of 
which  the  names  were  unlearnable,  and  the  description  difficult. 
The  mounted  gendarmes  in  their  light-blue  uniforms ;  the 
priests,  with  their  long,  wild-looking  hair  hanging  down  their 
backs,  and  enormous  beards  flowing  over  their  breasts,  looking 
not  over-clean,  decked  out  in  robes  of  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow,  and  of  some  colors,  too,  which  the  rainbow  has  not, 
and  worked  in  gold  and  silver  thread,  presented  a  tout  ensemble 
not  to  be  seen,  perhaps,  in  any  other  cauntry ;  whilst  the 
bareheaded  crowds  that  lined  the  streets  and  followed  the  pro- 
cession afforded  unmistakable  evidence,  by  their  earnest  and 
respectful  demeanor,  that  they  felt  their  religion  in  a  greater 
degree  than  did  some  of  the  priests,  who  were  laughing  in  no 
very  decorous  manner,  even  while  intoning  in  public  the  ser- 
vices of  their  Church, 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Moscow  presents  an  infinity  of 
subjects  of  stirring  interest  to  the  traveller.  On  an  inspection 
of  the  visitors'  book  at  the  palace  in  the  Kremlin,  we  saw  the 
names  of  numerous  English  people  ;  and  now  that  the  railroad 
is  open  in  its  whole  length  from  BerKn  to  St.  Petersburg,  and 
thence  to  Moscow,  and  every  facility  afforded  to  the  tourist,  it 
is  probable  that  large  numbers  of  our  countrymen,  and  coun- 
trywomen too,  wiU  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunities 
afforded  of  visiting  this  remarkable  city. 


THE  VALE  OF  AVOCA. 

The  vale  is  well  planted.  The  railway  passes  through 
the  demesne  of  Avondale.  The  mansions  of  Avondale  and 
Kingstown  are  passed  on  the  right,  and  then  appear  the 
turrets  of  Castle  Howard,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Howard  Brooke, 
standing  on  an  eminence  on  the  left  of  the  river  Avonmore, 
just   above   its   famous  junction   with  the   Avonbeg.      The 


188  EUKOPE. 

river  is  crossed  by  a  quaintly  picturesque  bridge  known  as  the 
Lion  Bridge.  The  entrance  to  the  demesne  is  by  a  castellated 
gate,  surmounted  by  a  lion  passant,  the  crest  of  the  Howard 
family.  The  structure,  which  is  plain  and  chaste,  gains  much 
in  effect  from  its  position  on  an  elevation  of  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  river.  The  hills  around  are  richly  planted.  The 
view  from  the  esplanade  embraces  the  surrounding  hills  and 
vale  of  Avoca.  The  "  Meeting  of  the  Waters  "  is  soon  ap- 
proached, where  the  Avonbeg  unites  with  the  Avonmore,  and 
flows  down  the  vale  under  the  name  of  the  Avoca,  amid  pro- 
jecting rocks,  o'erhanging  trees,  and  every  adjunct  to  pic- 
turesque effect.  The  tourist  is  apt  to  expect  too  much  from 
such  a  place,  forgetting  that  when  the  national  poet  sung 

There  is  not  in  the  wide"  world  a  valley  so  sweet 
As  the  vale  in  whose  bosom  the  bright  waters  meet. 
Oh !  the  last  rays  of  feeling  and  hfe  must  depart, 
Ere  the  bloom  of  that  valley  shall  fade  from  my  heart. 

Yet  it  was  not  that  nature  had  shed  o'er  the  scene 
Her  purest  of  crystal  and  brightest  of  green ; 
'Twas  not  her  soft  magic  of  streamlet  or  hill, 
Oh !  no — ^it  was  something  more  exquisite  still 

'Twas  that  friends,  the  beloved  of  my  bosom,  were  near, 
Who  made  each  dear  scene  of  enchantment  more  dear ; 
And  who  felt- how  the  best  charms  of  nature  improve, 
When  we  see  them  reflected  from  looks  that  we  love. 

Sweet  vale  of  Avoca !  how  calm  could  I  rest 
In  thy  bosom  of  shade  with  the  friends  I  love  best. 
Where  the  storms  that  we  feel  in  this  cold  world  should  cease 
And  our  hearts,  Hke  the  waters,  be  mingled  in  peace — 

he  was  drawing  as  much  upon  imagination  in  all  likelihood  as 
upon  nature  ;  and  when  we  remember  the  lavishness  of  Moore's 
ideas,  we  must  only  be  astonished  to  find  nature  so  like  poetry. 
The  valley  is  indeed  sweet,  and  cold  must  be  the  heart,  and 
dull  the  head,  which  could  pass  through  it  unmoved ;  but  if 


THE  VALE  OF   AYOCA. 


189 


the  tourist  does  not  wish  to  meet  with  a  disappointment,  he 
must  not  expect  too  much. 

It  is  difficult  to  convey  a  description  of  the  Vale  of  Avoca 
in  terms  to  come  up  to  the  expectation  of  the  reader,  or  even 
to  the  reality  of  nature.  A  notice  of  it,  by  the  author  already 
quoted,  may  be  of  some  assistance  to  the  expectant  tourist. 
"  Beautifully  picturesque  groups  of  oaks  and  beeches,  every- 
where hung  with  ivy,  constitute  one  of  the  main  beauties  of 
the  Vale  of  Avoca.     This,  to  some  extent,  is  the  character  of 


THE   VALE   OP  AVOCA,    IRELAND. 


all  the  valleys  of  Wicklow  through  which  rivers  flow,  while 
the  summits  of  the  mountains  and  the  unwatered  vales  remain 
completely  bare.  The  Irish  oak  differs  materially  from  the 
English  oak  ;  yet  this  difference,  so  striking  that  you  notice  it 
at  the  first  glance,  is  difficult  to  describe.  The  branches  are 
less  knotted  and  spreading.  There  seem  to  me  to  be  more 
straight  lines  and  fewer  crooked  ones ;  more  length  and  less 
breadth  in  the  Irish  oak."  Another  stranger.  Prince  Puckler 
Muskau,  writes  in  glowing  terms  of  the  spot.     "  Just  before 


190  EUROPE. 

sunset,"  he  says,  "  I  reached  the  exquisitely  beautiful  Avon- 
dale.  In  this  paradise  every  possible  charm  is  united.  A 
wood,  which  appears  of  measureless  extent ;  two  noble  rivers  ; 
rocks  of  every  variety  of  picturesque  form  ;  the  greenest  mead- 
ows ;  the  most  varied  and  luxuriant  shrubberies  and  thickets. 
In  short,  scenery  changing  at  every  step,  yet  never  diminishing 
in  beauty."  An  English  writer  gives  a  very  different  account 
of  the  place.  "As  to  the  ' Meeting  of  the  Waters,' "  he 
writes,  "  as  the  Irish  are  pleased  to  call  the  confluence  of  two 
little  streams,  pompously  or  poetically  as  you  may  please  to 
decide,  I  think  more  has  been  made  of  it  than  either  the  waters 
or  their  meeting  deserve.  There  are,  in  fact,  two  places  in 
the  valley  where  two  streams  meet,  one  toward  the  lower  end, 
where  the  scenery  is  rich  and  beautiful,  the  other,  which  I  was 
assured  to  be  the  ^riglar'  meeting,  was  higher  up  the  vale ; 
and  I  confess,  on  arriving  at  it,  I  was  disappointed,  and  could 
not  hesitate  in  giving  preference  to  the  place  of  the  confluence 
of  the  two  streams  we  had  passed  lower  down." 


CHASE  OF  THE  EIDER  DUCK. 

The  eider  duck  has  the  merit  of  being  abundant  as  well  as 
valuable.  It  is  a  native  of  Norway  and  other  very  cold  coun- 
tries ;  its  beautifully  soft  down,  of  which  we  are  so  fond,  for 
pillows  and  coverlets,  and,  if  very  luxurious,  for  beds  also, 
being  given  it  as  a  protection  from  the  icy  cold  of  its  northern 
haunts. 

A  great  quantity  of  this  down  is  collected  on  the  coast  of 
Norway ;  those  who  collect  it  waiting  upon  the  birds  in  their 
own  nests,  and  transacting  business  with  them  in  a  fashion 
which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  leaves  poor  dilly-duck  as  little  voice 
in  the  matter,  as  does  that  of  the  sportsman,  who  shoulders 


CHASE  OF  THE  EHDEE  DUCK.  191 

his  gun,  and,  without  leave,  asked  or  given,  coolly  knocks  her 
over  in  the  water. 

Let  us  see  how  this  same  sport  of  duck-hunting  is  car- 
ried on. 

In  the  gray  misty  dawn  of  a  summer's  morning,  three 
boats  containing  our  sportsmen,  their  rifles,  and  plenty  of  cod- 
lines  stowed  away  in  safe  corners,  pushed  oiF  noiselessly  from 
the  dockyard  point  of  the  harbor  of  Christiansand.  The  water 
was  like  glass  ;  and  at  that  early  hour  the  silence  was  unbroken, 
save  by  the  steady  roll  of  the  oars  in  tJie  rowlocks,  whose  echo 
was  heard  among  the  cliifs  that  skirted  the  "  fiord  " — as  those 
arms  of  the  sea  that  run  deep  into  the  sharply-indented  coast 
of  Norway  are  called.  Here  and  there  a  seal  popped  up  its 
black  shiny  head,  took  a  long  .look  at  the  boats,  and  then 
dipped  down  again,  so  quietly  as  not  even  to  ripple  the  surface 
of  the  water ;  an  act  of  curiosity,  however,  that  cost  one  of 
them  his  life.  A  sharp  crack  of  a  rifle,  and  down  went  seal 
deeper  than  ever  he  did  in  his  life,  and  not  to  come  up  again. 
It  was  a  good  shot,  that  gained  for  the  marksman  a  rebuke 
from  his  companion,  who  «rery  properly  told  him  it  was  a 
shame  to  fire  at  what  he  could  not  secure  after  he  had 
killed  it. 

Before  getting  among  the  ducks,  they  stopped  at  a  shoal  to 
get  cod-bait,  in  the  shape  of  large  limpets,  that  were  knocked 
off  the  rocks  with  boat-hooks,  and  stowed  away  for  use  when 
they  reached  the  fishing  ground :  for  catching  cod  was  to  be  the 
end  of  the  day's  work. 

After  rowing  awhile,  the  open  sea  was  approached,  heav- 
ing and  swelling  with  the  ever  restless  roll  of  the  Atlantic ; 
and  the  three  boats  forming  line  abreast,  at  five  or  six  hundred 
yards'  distance,  pulled  leisurely  along,  keeping  a  bright  look- 
out on  every  side.  Calm  as  it  was,  the  swells  were  quite 
heavy  enough  to  conceal  the  boats  entirely  from  each  other,  as 
from  time  to  time  the  huge  mountains  rolled  between  them. 
They  kept  on  in  this  way  for  about  half  an  hour,  occasionally 


192  EUEOPE. 

deceived  by  gulls  and  cormorants,  which,  rising  and  falling 
with  the  swell  on  which  they  were  floating,  were  taken  for 
their  more  fashionable  neighbors,  the  ducks.  Suddenly,  to 
westward,  a  dozen  or  so  of  black  spots  were  seen  on  the  water, 
visible  at  intervals,  as  they  and  the  boats  bobbed  up  and  down 
at  the  same  time.  Crescent^wise  the  boats  rowed  on  toward 
these  black  spots,  which,  as  they  were  neared,  showed  them- 
selves unmistakably  to  be  ducks ;  still  sitting  quietly,  and 
bobbing  up  and  down  with  the  swell  of  the  water  as  before. 
A  gun  was  already  levelled  at  them  from  the  centre  boat 
(which,  however,  was  not  so  near  them  as  the  sportsmen 
thought),  when  with  one  accord  the  dozen  tails  began  to 
wriggle,  and  at  once  the  whole  flock  were  under  water,  disap- 
pearing as  if  by  signal.  The  men  now  stretched  out  with  all 
their  might ;  and  as  they  shot  across  the  spot  where  the  ducks 
had  gone  down,  marking  the  chain  of  air-bubbles  which  their 
sudden  disappearance  had  made,  they  determined  to  wait 
thereabout  for  their  coming  up  again.  Impatiently  enough 
they  waited  ;  thinking  what  long-winded  creatures  eider  ducks 
must  be,  as  minute  after  minute  sapped  away  and  brought  no 
signs  of  their  reappearance.  When  lo,  far  to  the  rear  of  one 
of  the  boats,  there  were  the  same  dozen  of  black  spots,  dancing 
up  and  down  on  the  heaving  water  as  before,  as  though  noth- 
ing had  occurred  to  disturb  their  tranquillity ;  for  in  truth 
the  ducks  had  headed  back  under  water,  and  the  boats  had 
pulled  over  them.  Again  they  were  cautiously  approached  by 
the  boats,  crescent- wise  ;  again  aimed  at  from  the  centre  l)oat ;' 
when  the  twelve  tails  again  wriggled  simultaneously,  and  the 
twelve  bodies  went  under  at  once.  This  time,  however,  they 
rose  within  shot  of  one  of  the  boats  ;  but  before  a  gun  could 
be  got  to  bear  upon  them,  they  were  under  again. 

So  far,  so  good ;  for  these  birds  dive  so  rapidly  that  the 
only  chance  of  getting  a  shot  at  them  in  the  summer  season, 
is  to  make  them  keep  diving  till  they  are  too  much  out  of 
breath  to  dive  any  more.     They  were  rapidly  getting  into  this 


CHASE   OF   THE   EIDER   DUCK.  193 

condition  now.  The  dive  this  time  was  a  short  one,  though 
it  carried  them  out  of  shot,  and  one  of  the  sportsmen,  marking 
the  line  of  air-bubbles  left  on  the  surface,  pulled  on  their  track 
and  headed  them  back  to  his  friends.  They  now  rose  among 
the  boats,  and  one  or  two  attempted  a  heavy  lumbering  flight, 
which  was  speedily  stopped  by  the  fowling-pieces.  The  rest 
dispersed  diving,  each  his  own  way,  and  pursued  by  the  boats 
independently. 

The  object  of  approaching  them  in  a  crescent  is  to  prevent 
the  birds  dispersing  before  they  are  too  much  exhausted  to 
dive  far.  A  separated  flock  can  seldom  be  marked,  because  it 
is  more  difiicult  to  catch  sight  of  one  black  spot  than  a  dozen  ; 
and  if  a  flock  disperses  early  in  the  chase,  the  chances  are, 
that  not  more  than  one  or  two  ducks  will  be  secured. 

The  chase  was  now  an  ordinary  affair,  very  like  rat-hunt- 
ing ;  the  birds,  confused  and  desperate,  kept  poking  their 
heads  up  in  all  sorts  of  unexpected  directions,  and  as  their 
dives  were  now  short,  one  or  other  of  the  quick  and  expe- 
rienced eyes  were  sure  to  detect  them.  As  for  missing  when 
they  were  once  within  shot,  it  was  impossible  to  miss  a  bird 
nearly  as  big  as  a  goose,  and  almost  as  heavy  on  the  wing. 
Ten  out  of  the  twelve  were  bagged,  and  two  only  were  unac- 
counted for,  having  slipped  away  in  the  heat  of  the  chase. 
Three  or  four  other  flocks  were  sighted  and  chased  with 
various  success ;  some,  taking  alarm  in  time,  contrived  to 
dive  and  swim  ahead  of  the  boats,  so  as  to  elude  them  alto- 
gether ;  some,  startled  by  too  rapid  approach,  dived  before 
they  had  time  to  draw  together,  and,  breaking  their  order, 
appeared  so  many  black  spots  in  different  directions,  most  of 
which  were  lost  while  pursuing  others.  Still,  the  spoils  of 
the  party  were  considerable  ;  when  suddenly  a  light  cat's-paw 
ruflfled  the  surface,  the  black  dots  were  no  longer  visible  as 
before  on  the  water,  and  there  was  an  end  to  duck-huntinor  for 
that  day. 

"  Up  sticks  for  the  cod-ground,"  now  exclaimed  one  of  the 
9 


194 


EUROPE. 


boatmen ;  and,  hoisting  sail,  they  bore  away  for  the  fishing- 
ground,  a  sunken  island,  though  with  twenty  fathoms  water,  a 
couple  of  miles  from  the  lighthouse. 


OHASE   OF  THE  EIDER  DUCK. 


CHASE   OF   THE    EIDER   DUCK.  195 

Meanwhile  all  hands  had  got  a  desperate  appetite  for 
breakfast ;  so,  running  their  boats  in  shore,  to  one  of  those 
numerous  islets  with  which  these  waters  are  studded,  they 
made  a  fire  of  the  drift-wood  which  abundantly  fringes  the 
Norwegian  coast,  and  regaled  themselves,  as  men,  after  some 
hours'  pulling  about  and  shouting,  had  a  right  to  do.  This 
little  island  presented  a  rather  remarkable  sight.  It  was  high 
and  rocky  ;  and,  clambering  to  the  top  of  the  cliff  under  which 
they  had  breakfasted,  they  saw  half-a-dozen  peasants,  who  had 
been  making  hay  of  a  miserable  coarse  grass  that  grew  there, 
carrying  it  down  to  their  great  clumsy  boats  that  were  an- 
chored at  its  foot.  Upon  these  they  built  up  the  hay  in 
stacks  ;  and,  towing  them  along  by  their  whaling-boats,  sailed 
home  to  the  mainland,  some  dozen  miles  off.  It  was  wretched 
stuff,  such  as  a  sleek  English  cow  would  have  turned  up  her 
nose  at,  but  the  best  they  could  get  for  their  poor  cattle. 

The  fishing-ground  lay  just  off  this  island ;  and  after  spend- 
ing'the  afternoon,  hauling  in  little  fish  the  size  of  a  whiting, 
the  rock-cod  of  Norway,  as  fast  as  they  could  drop  their  lines, 
they  came  ashore  again.  The  haymakers,  to  whom  they  gave 
their  fish,  were  speedily  splitting  and  drying  it  in  the  sun  for 
winter  stock ;  for,  among  the  hard-living  Norse  peasantry, 
these  miserable  little  dried  fishes  are  at  that  season  almost  the 
only  "  relish"  that  they  have  to  their  coarse  rye  bread. 

Wearied  with  their  day's  work,  the  shooting  party  lounged 
luxuriously  in  a  niche  of  the  rock,  till  the  broad  moon  threw 
a  wake  of  light  on  the  now  motionless  waters  ;  then,  betaking 
themselves  to  their  boats,  they  rowed  stoutly  along  the  fiord  to 
the  steamer  which  was  to  take  them  on  a  visit  to  the  Swedes. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  eider  ducks,  and  northern 
divers,  are  the  only  attractions  that  these  northern  regions 
l^old  out  to  sportsmen.  A  bear  is  occasionally  to  be  met  with  ; 
and  then  there  is  a  grand  hunting  match.  The  hunters  go  out 
in  great  numbers,  and,  spreading  themselves  over  a  consider- 
able tract  of  country,  gradually  draw  nearer  and  nearer  to 


196  EUKOPE. 

each  other,  so  as  to  drive  any  animals  enclosed  in  the  circle 
within  range  of  their  guns.  And  then  they  blaze  away  at 
^rnin ;  whose  taking  to  the  water  by  no  means  furthers  his 
views  as  to  escape,  seeing  that  marksmen,  stationed  in  boats 
here  and  there,  are  ready  for  him,  to  what  point  soever  he 
may  turn.  It  is  much  to  be  feared  that,  altogether,  they  are 
"  too  many"  for  him. 


THE  GIANT'S  CAUSEWAY. 

The  most  wonderful  natural  curiosity  in  Ireland  is  the 
Giant's  Causeway,  composed  of  basaltic  rocks.  These  rocks 
occur  more  or  less  plentifully  over  the  whole  northern  coast 
of  the  county  Antrim,  but  the  district  embracing  the  most  in- 
teresting variety  of  forms  ranges  over  a  space  of  about  four 
miles  from  Portcoon  Cave  on  the  west  to  Dunseverick  Ca'stle 
on  the  east.  It  will  be  advisable,  if  the  tourist  have  time,  to 
take  the  circuit  first  in  a  boat,  and  have  the  various  objects 
pointed  out  to  him  by  the  rower,  and  then  to  visit  them  by 
land  in  detail  with  a  guide.  We  purpose  first  to  devote  a 
brief  space  to  the  general  consideration  of  this  district,  and 
then  describe  the  various  objects  in  their  order,  proceeding 
from  west  to  east.  Not  until  1693  was  public  attention  called 
to  the  Giant's  Causeway,  since  which  time  the  district  has 
been  visited  by  thousands  of  tourists,  among  whom  were  not 
a  few  scientific  men.  To  form  any  conception  of  the  appear- 
ance of  this  extraordinary  work  of  nature,  we  must  suppose  a 
wild  rocky  shore,  with  here  a  shoal,  and  there  a  beetling  cliff, 
alternating  with  deposits  of  debris.  But  the  majority  of  our 
rocks  in  cliffs  are  deposited  in  layers  one  above  another ; 
whereas  these  are  composed  of  perpendicular  columns,  some 
five,  some  six-sided,  and  though  separate,  fitting  so  closely  to- 
gether as  to  exclude,  in  some  places,  even  a  sheet  of  paper. 


197 

The  exposed  ends  of  these  columns  form  the  Causeway,  their 
entire  lengths  in  other  places  forming  the  ribbed  or  fluted 
crags,  as  in  the  Organ  and  Stack,  resembling,  but  far  surpass- 
ing in  extent,  the  similar  columns  on  Arthur  Seat  known  as 
Sampson's  Ribs.  Nor  are  the  pillars  themselves  continuous, 
but  composed  of  several  pieces  fitted  together  by  convex  and 
concave  surfaces.  Of  the  figure  of  the  pillars,  we  are  told 
that  "  there  is  only  one  triangular  pillar  throughout  the  whole 
extent  of  the  three  Causeways.  It  stands  near  the  east  side 
of  the  Grand  Causeway.  There  are  but  three  pillars  of  nine 
sides  ;  one  of  them  situated  in  the  Honeycomb,  and  the  others 
not  far  from  the  triangular  pillar  just  noticed.  The  total  num- 
ber of  four  and  eight  sides  bear  but  a  small  proportion  to  the 
entire  mass  of  pillars,  of  which  it  may  be  safely  computed  that 
ninety-nine  out  of  one  hundred  have  either  five,  six,  or  seven 
sides."  It  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  enter  into  geological 
details.  Such  as  take  an  interest  in  the  stony  science  will  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  subject  from  other  and  more  proper 
sources  before  setting  out  on  their  journey,  and  such  as  do  not 
would  only  be  confused  by  an  array  of  trap  rocks  divided  into 
basalt,  felspar,  hornblende,  and  such  titles.  It  will  be  sufficient 
for  the  general  reader's  purpose,  if  we  state  that  these  columns 
are  composed  chemically  of  about  one-half  flinty  earth,  one- 
quarter  iron,  and  one-quarter  clay  and  lime ;  that  they  are 
plutonic  in  their  origin,  that  is,  formed  by  a  perfect  fusion  of 
the  ingredients  into  one  mass,  which  in  cooling  has  cracked 
or  crystallized  into  regular  forms,  as  starch  will  on  drying. 
Kohl's  beautiful  remarks  on  this  subject  are  so  much  to  the 
point  that  we  shall  quote  them :  "  With  all  the  explanations 
that  can  be  oflered,  however,  so  much  is  left  unexplained,  that 
they  answer  very  little  purpose.  On  a  close  investigation  of 
these  wonderful  formations,  so  many  questions  arise  that  one 
scarcely  ventures  to  utter  them.  With  inquiries  of  this  nature, 
perhaps  not  the  least  gain  is  the  knowledge  of  how  much  lies 
beyond  the  limits  of  our  inquiries,  and  how  many  things  that 


198 


EUROPE. 


lie  so  plainly  before  our  eyes,  which  we  can  see  and  handle, 
may  yet  be  wrapped  in  unfathomable  mystery.  We  see  in  the 
Giant's  Causeway  the  most  certain  and  obvious  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  operation  of  active  and  powerful  forces  which 
entirely  escape  our  scrutiny.  We  walk  over  the  heads  of  some 
forty  thousand  columns  (for  this  number  has  been  counted  by 
some  curious  and  leisurely  persons),  all  beautifully  cut  and 
polished,  formed  of  such  neat  pieces,  so  exactly  fitted  to  each 


THE  giant's  causeway. 


other,  and  so  cleverly  supported,  that  we  might  fancy  we  had 
before  us  the  work  of  ingenious  human  artificers ;  and  yet 
what  we  behold  is  the  result  of  the  immutable  laws  of  nature, 
acting  without  any  apparent  object,  and  by  a  process  which 
must  remain  a  mystery  forever  to  our  understanding.  Even 
the  simplest  inquiries  it  is  often  impossible  to  answer ;  such, 
for  instance,  as  how  far  these  colonnades  run  out  beneath  the 
sea,  and  how  far  into  the  land,  which  throws  over  them  a  veil 
as  impenetrable  as  that  of  the  ocean." 

Portcoon  Cave,  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  Causeway,  is 


CAUSEWAY.  199 

the  first  object  on  our  way.  It  can  be  visited  eitber  by  land 
or  water.  Like  most  other  caves,  it  has  no  striking  peculiarity, 
and  is  merely  interesting  as  a  cave.  The  echo  produced  by  a 
musical  instrument  is  said  to  be  delicious,  while  that  of  a 
loaded  "gun  or  small  cannon  is  tremendous,  and  only  suited  to 
those  who  delight  in  the  loud  and  noisy.  The  story  goes  that 
this  cave  was  inhabited  by  a  hermit  giant,  who,  having  a 
solemn  oath  never  to  touch  food  brought  to  him  by  human 
hands,  wa*  fed  by  seals,  who  carried  him  provisions  in  their 
mouths. 

Dunherry  Gave  is  one  which  can  only  be  entered  by  water. 
The  entrance  is  tolerably  regular,  and  somewhat  resembles  a 
Gothic  arch.  This  cave  is  situated  to  the  west  of  Portcoon. 
Perhaps  the  most  peculiar  circumstance  connected  with  this 
cave  is  the  rising  of  the  water  within  in  response  to  the  swell 
of  the  ocean,  which  upon  this  coast  is  at  all  times  heavy,  and 
as  each  successive  wave  rolls  into  the  cave,  the  surface  rises 
so  slowly  and  awfully  that  a  nervous  person  would  be  appre- 
hensive of  a  ceaseless  increase  in  the  elevation  of  the  waters 
until  they  reached  the  summit  of  the  cave.  Of  this,  however, 
there  need  not  be  the  most  distant  apprehension,  the  roof  being 
sixty  feet  above  the  high-water  mark.  Passing  the  beautiful 
little  bay  of  Portnabaw,  we  gradually  gain  sight  of  the  Steu- 
cansj  two  peculiar  hills  which  divide  the  bays  Portnabaw 
and  Port  Ganniay.  A  little  way  further  we  come  upon  the 
Gianfs  Well,  a  little  hole  in  the  basaltic  flooring  of  the  place, 
which  is  generally  filled  with  clear  water.  The  legends 
which  tell  of  the  giant  or  giants  who  lived  in  this  wild  re- 
treat have  of  necessity  furnished  every  means  of  subsistence 
and  amusement  for  the  portly  inhabitants,  such  as  organs, 
chimneys,  a  ball  alley,  and  even  a  pulpit ;  and  in  the  face  of 
so  much  of  the  briny  deep  it  would  be  hard  to  refuse  them  a 
draught  of  pure  cold  water,  and  we  accordingly  find  this  little 
pool  dubbed  the  Giant's  "Well.  We  are  now,  however,  close 
beside  the  grand  objects  of  our  visit. 


200  EUKOPE. 

The  visitor,  whoever  he  be,  is  almost  certain  to  be  disap- 
pointed as  he  gazes  for  the  first  time  on  the  ultimatum  of  his 
pilgrimage,  and  to  wish  that  he  had  been  less  curious,  or  more 
easily  satisfied.  This  is  more  or  less  the  case  with  every  place 
of  resort,  but  especially  so  here.  So  unlike  to  any  tHing  al- 
ready seen  or  described  is  the  appearance  of  the  Causeway, 
that  few  will  visit  the  scene  without  a  first  sensation  not  alto- 
gether gratifying.  This  impression,  luckily  for  the  credit  of 
the  place,  and  fees  of  guides  and  other  assistants,  is  but  mo- 
mentary, and  makes  way  for  a  new  feeling  of  curiosity  blended 
with  wonder.  The  Causeway  is  divided  into  three  tongues, 
the  Little,  the  Middle,  and  the  Grand  Causeways.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  give  any  thing  like  a  correct  idea  of  the  Cause- 
way and  its  a;ccompanying  wonders  by  description  ;  all  we  can 
do  is  merely  to  tell  the  tourist  how  they  can  be  seen,  and  enu- 
merate a  few  of  the  leading  objects  most  worthy  of  his  study.* 

The  Gianfs  Gateway  and  Loom,  seen  on  turning  to  leave 
the  Causeway,  are  composed  of  a  series  of  columns,  the  per- 
pendicular lengths  of  which  are  exposed  to  view.    The  Gianfs 

*  Of  the  traditions  without  end  which  attempt  to  account  for  this  won- 
derful natural  production,  we  will  content  ourselves  with  one,  assuring  the 
tourist  that  he  will  hear  dozens  if  he  only  stays  long  enough  in  the  district, 
and  keeps  his  ears  and  his  pockets  open.  The  giant  Fin  MacCoul  was  the 
champion  of  Ireland,  and  felt  very  much  aggrieved  at  the  insolent  boasting 
of  a  certain  Caledonian  giant,  who  offered  to  beat  all  who  came  before  him, 
and  even  dared  to  tell  Fin  that  if  it  weren't  for  the  wetting  of  himself,  he 
would  swim  over  and  give  him  a  drubbing.  Fin  at  last  applied  to  the  king, 
who  perhaps  not  daring  to  question  the  doings  of  such  a  weighty  man,  gave 
him  leave  to  construct  a  causeway  right  to  Scotland,  on  which  the  Scot 
walked  over  and  fought  the  Irishman.  Fin  turned  out  victor,  and  with  an 
amount  of  generosity  quite  becoming  his  Hibernian  descent,  kindly  allowed 
his  former  rival  to  marry  and  settle  in  Ireland,  which  the  Scot  was  not  loath 
to  do,  seeing  that  at  that  time  living  in  Scotland  was  none  of  the  best,  and 
everybody  knows  that  Ireland  was  always  the  richest  country  in  the  world. 
Since  the  death  of  the  giants,  the  Causeway,  being  no  longer  wanted,  has 
Bunk  under  the  sea,  only  leaving  a  portion  of  itself  visible  here,  a  little  at 
the  island  of  Rathlin,  and  the  portals  of  the  grand  gate  on  Staffa. 


201 

Organ  is  a  similar  object,  but  more  beautiful  than  either.  "  It 
forms  no  part  of  the  Causeway,  but  is  placed  apart  in  the 
mountain,  and  consists  of  a  number  of  large  pillars,  declining 
on  either  side  to  shorter  and  shorter  ones,  like  the  strings  of  a 
harp  ;  and  we  might  really  imagine  a  giant  organist  sitting 
playing  at  it,  especially  as  the  basaltic  pillars,  when  struck, 
give  forth  a  metallic  ring.  The  colonnade  of  pillars  consti- 
tuting the  pipes  of  the  Organ,  have  evidently  been  exposed  by 
some  land-slip.  PortnoiFer  Bay  is  passed,  from  which  the 
Shepherd's  Path  leads  over  the  cliff  to  a  country  perfectly 
level  and  grass-grown,  presenting  a  strange  contrast  to  the 
iron-bound  coast." 

"  After  Portnoffer  Bay  came  the  Giant's  Amphitheatre." 
Kohl  vn-ites  enthusiastically  of  this  bay.  "The  bay  called 
the  Giant's  Amphitheatre  is  certainly  the  most  beautiful  am- 
phitheatre in  the  world,  that  in  Rome  not  excepted.  The  form 
of  it  is  so  exact  half  a  circle,  that  no  architect  could  have  pos- 
sibly made  it  more  so,  and  the  cliff  slopes  at  precisely  the  same 
angle  all  round  to  the  centre.  Round  the  upper  part  runs  a 
row  of  columns  eighty  feet  high  ;  then  comes  a  broad  rounded 
projection,  like  an  immense  bench,  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  giant  guests  of  Fin  MacCoul ;  then  again  a  row  of  pillars 
sixty  feet  high,  and  then  again  a  gigantic  bench,  and  so  down 
to  the  bottom,  where  the  water  is  enclosed  by  a  circle  of  black 
boulder  stones,  like  the  limits  of  the  arena.  This  is  a  scene, 
in  speaking  of  which  no  traveller  need  fear  indulging  in  terms 
of  exaggeration,  for  all  that  he  can  say  must  remain  far  be- 
hind the  truth." 

The  Gianfs  Chimney  Tops  are  three  isolated  pillars  stand- 
ing on  a  promontory.  The  tallest  of  them  is  about  forty-five 
feet  in  height.  It  is  said  that  one  of  the  ships  belonging  to 
the  Spanish  Armada  was  driven  into  the  coast  by  stress  of 
weather,  and  in  the  mist  took  these  isolated  columns,  then 
more  numerous,  for  the  towers  of  Dunluce,  and  wasted  their 
gunpowder  in  firing  at  them. 
9* 


202  EUROPE. 


THE  SCHRECKHORN. 

"  This  most  steep  fantastic  pinnacle, 
The  fretwork  of  some  earthquake — where  the  clouds 
Pause  to  repose  themselves  in  passing  by." — Byron. 

It  was  upon  a  bright  day,  the  first  of  the  month  of  August, 
1857,  that  I  stepped  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  lovely  lake  of  Thun,  and  with  a  young  companion 
who  then  journeyed  in  Switzerland  for  the  first  time,  wended 
my  way  through  the  village  of  Unterseen  to  Grindelwald. 
Once  more  I  was  about  to  tread  the  snows  of  the  Alps,  and  I 
felt  a  thrill  of  delight  at  the  thought,  that  those  only  who  have 
experienced  the  fascination  attending  a  glacier  expedition  can 
fully  understand.  Vfith  what  exultation  did  I  gaze  at  the 
gigantic  Jungfrau,  the  advanced  guard  of  the  Oberland  Giants, 
whose  summit  I  had  attained  the  year  before,  and  with  what 
pleasure,  as  we  approached  Grindelwald,  did  I  draw  my  com- 
panion's attention  to  the  grandeur  of  the  scene  as  mountain 
after  mountain  burst  upon  the  sight,  and  gradually  the  whole 
Bernese  range,  from  the  Jungfrau  to  the  Wetterhorn,  opened 
to  the  view ;  the  snoAV-clad  peaks  sharply  defined  against  the 
clear  blue  sky,  the  glaciers  pouring  into  the  valley  wherever 
channels  in  the  rocky  barrier  gave  them  outlet. 

At  Grindelwald  I  took  up  my  quarters  at  the  Hotel  de 
rOurs,  where  I  was  warmly  welcomed,  and  was  soon  in  con- 
ference with  my  old  guide.  Christian  Aimer,  to  whom  I  un- 
folded my  desire  to  attempt  the  ascent  of  the  Schreckhorn. 
Finding  him  nothing  loath,  I  engaged  him  and  Peter  Bohren  as 
guides  for  the  expedition,  and  the  next  day,  with  my  telescope 
in  my  pocket,  I  mounted  the  Fanlhorn  to  reconnoitre.  It  hap- 
pened to  be  a  ftte.  day,  and  I  found  a  large  crowd  of  peasants 
dancing  and  amusing  themselves  in  various  other  ways  upon  a 
flat  piece  of  ground  just  below  the  summit.  Truly,  they  had 
chosen  a  magnificent  ball-room ;  the  blue  canopy  of  heaven 


THE    SCHEECKHORN.  203 

was  the  ceiling,  the  earth — carpeted  by  the  emerald  sward  pat- 
terned with  the  brightest  flowers — the  floor.  On  one  side  rose 
the  summit  of  the  Faulhorn,  on  the  other  the  mountains  of  the 
Oberland,  forming  a  panorama  upon  which  the  eye  never  tired 
to  dwell. 

Approaching  a  group  of  dancers,  I  was  recognized  by  one 
of  them  (a  guide  I  had  once  employed) ,  and  no  sooner  was  the 
dance  over  than  he  greeted  me  with  great  cordiality,  and  urged 
me  to  dance  a  polka.  As  an  inducement,  he  introduced  his 
blushing  sweetheart  for  a  partner  ;  but,  mistrusting  my  powers 
of  dancing  in  boots  with  soles  an  inch  thick,  studded  with  hob- 
nails, I  bowed  my  excuses,  and  proceeded  on  my  way  to  the 
summit,  where  I  sat  down,  and,  adjusting  my  telescope,  took 
a  long  and  anxious  survey  of  the  Schreckhorn  and  the  sur- 
rounding snows. 

The  result  was  that  I  felt  convinced  that  the  principal  diffi- 
culties in  the  attempt  to  ascend  the  peak  would  be  found  a 
short  distance  below  the  place  where  it  first  appeared  above 
the  snow,  as  the  neve  there  seemed  much  broken  up,  and  I 
could  trace  a  large  crevasse  running  along  for  a  considerable 
distance.  I  inferred  that  a  long  ladder  would  be  of  essential 
service  during  the  expedition. 

Upon  descending  I  communicated  to  Aimer  and  Bohrcn  the 
result  of  my  observations  ;  but  finding  that  they  did  not  agree 
with  me  as  to  the  necessity  for  a  ladder,  I  deferred  for  the 
time  to  their  judgment,  and  having  engaged  two  porters, 
awaited  patiently  the  appearance  of  continued  fair  weather  in 
order  to  start. 

The  morning  of  the  5th  of  August  proved  very  fine  ;  the 
mercury  of  the  barometer  was  rising  fast ;  and  the  weather 
seemed  so  settled  that  I  determined  to  set  oflf.  The  guides 
and  porters  were  summoned,  and  we  were  soon  in  the  midst 
of  the  bustle  of  preparation. 

Each  of  our  porters  carried  one  of  the  long  baskets  of  the 
country,  wide  at  the  mouth  and  narrow  at  the  bottom,  attached 


204 


ETJKOPE. 


to  his  shoulders  by  hooks  or  cords.  These  baskets  were  filled 
with  provisions,  wine,  some  blankets,  a  large  bed  curtain  for  a 
flag,  a  skeepskin,  and  knapsacks.     The  loads  were  very  heavy, 


inmn 


J^^ 


A   SCENE   IN   SWITZERLAND. 


but  the  sturdy  Oberland  men  walked  ofF  with  them  without 
the  slightest  difficulty,  and  quite  as  a  matter  of  course.    Aimer 


THE   SCHRECKHOEN.  205 

carried  a  long  stout  rope  and  a  heavy  common  wood  axe,  which 
I  had  often  seen  used  with  good  effect  during  an  ascent,  in  giv- 
ing the  first  rough  cuts  to  the  steps  in  a  steep  ice  wall,  that 
were  afterwards  deepened  and  finished  off  by  the  ice  axes  of 
those  who  followed.  Bohren  carried  his  knapsack  and  ice  axe. 
Past  experience  having  satisfied  me  that  the  guide,  in  De 
Saussure's  time,  who  talked  of  travelling  over  a  glacier  with  a 
parasol  in  one  hand  and  a  scent  bottle  in  the  other,  was  a  very 
sensible  fellow,  and  that  on  the  snow  the  heat  of  the  sun  by 
day  was  worse  than  the  cold  by  night,  I  had  studied  to  adopt 
such  clothing  as,  whilst  being  light  and  not  absorbing  the  sun's 
rays,  should  at  the  same  time  preserve  the  person  from  cold 
when  resting  after  being  heated  by  exertion.  My  costume 
consisted  of  white  flannel  cricketing  trowsers,  and  a  jacket  of 
the  same  material,  with  sleeves,  a  white  linen  coat,  flannel 
shirt,  white  felt  wide-awake  hat,  a  pair  of  merino  stockings, 
with  a  pair  of  the  thickest  worsted  socks  drawn  over  them, 
and  double-soled  Blucher  boots,  specially  made  for  the  purpose 
in  London,  the  soles,  of  course,  well  studded  with  nails.  I 
also  took  with  me  a  pair  of  long  cloth  gaiters,  to  put  on  at 
night,  and  a  pair  of  neutral  tint  spectacles,  with  side  glasses, 
to  protect  the  eyes  from  the  glare  of  the  sun  whilst  on  the 
snow. 

About  ten  we  started,  every  one  about  the  hotel  turning 
out  to  see  us  off,  and  expressing  good  wishes  for  our  success. 
A  short  distance  from  the  hotel  we  met  Madame  Bohren,  who 
brought  a  copper  kettle  for  our  tea-making,  and  a  little 
"  Toddle,"  who  came  to  take  leave  of  its  father.  Some  time 
Avas  taken  up  whilst  Bohren  tied  the  kettle  on  the  top  of  his 
knapsack,  and  gave  up  to  his  wife  his  testimonial  book  and 
valuables. 

I  myself  caused  the  next  stoppage,  for  notwithstanding  the 
opinion  of  Aimer  and  Bohren  about  the  ladder,  I  had  thought 
of  nothing  else  since  leaving  the  hotel,  and  pictured  to  myself 
so  vividly  the  annoyance  I  should  suffer  in  case  the  expedition 


206  EUKOPE. 

should  fail  for  want  of  it,  that  I  sent  back  one  of  the  porters 
to  fetch  one,  with  a  man  to  carry  it,  and  we  aAvaited  his  com- 
ing at  the  residence  of  Bohren's  father,  a  chalet  at  the  foot  of 
the  upper  glacier.  When  the  ladder  arrived,  it  required  a 
little  trimming  at  the  ends,  then  there  was  some  wine  to  be 
drunk  for  the  good  of  the  house,  and  one  of  the  porters  had 
to  deposit  his  little  stock  of  money  with  Bohren's  sister  ;  but 
at  last  all  these  little  matters  were  completed,  and  we  set  off 
in  earnest. 

Our  course  was  for  some  time  in  the  direction  of  the  Great 
Scheideck,  along  and  up  the  base  of  the  mountain  marked 
"  Oberberg"  in  the  map,  there  being  no  practicable  way  to 
ascend  along  the  southern  or  Grindelwald  side  of  the  upper 
glacier.  As  we  passed  through  the  meadows  close  to  the 
rock,  some  peasants  were  busy  getting  in  hay,  and  one  of 
them,  a  young  girl,  was  singing  gaily  at  her  work.  Far  above 
us  I  could  see  a  small  patch  of  snow.,  near  which  I  was  in- 
formed we  should  turn  round  the  corner  of  the  rock,  and  take 
a  direction  in  a  line  with  the  glacier.  We  had  started  so  late 
that  the  sun  was  very  hot,  and  we  wound  our  way  slowly  up- 
wards, the  guides  and  haymakers  shouting  to  one  another,  and 
the  maiden's  song  sounding  merrily  in  the  clear  air ;  but  at 
length  the  patch  of  snow  was  reached,  we  turned  the  corner 
of  the  rock,  the  shouts  of  the  men  and  the  song  of  the  girl 
sounded  fainter  and  fainter  in  the  distance,  and  soon  ceased  to 
be  heard  As  the  sounds  died  away,  I  felt  that  we  were  now 
fairly  severed  from  our  fellow-men,  and  a  sensation  of  sadness 
stole  over  me.  My  companions  also  seemed  to  feel  the  change, 
and  their  gaiety  ceased  for  some  minutes. 

We  pursued  our  way  steadily,  the  scenery  increasing  in 
grandeur  at  every  step,  as  we  advanced  up  the  gorge  through 
which  the  stupendous  mass  of  the  upper  glacier  forces  its  way 
into  the  valley.  At  one  part,  our  path  lay  over  a  large  mass 
of  rock,  beautifully  rounded  and  smooth,  most  probably  by 
glacier  action,  but  a  few  rude  steps  had  been  cut  by  the  shcp- 


THE   SCHEECKHOSN.  207 

herds  or  hunters  in  continuation  of  the  path,  and  there  was  no 
difficulty  in  passing.  With  the  exception  that  Aimer  pointed 
out  four  chamois,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  glacier,  that  were 
grazing  upon  a  patch  of  grass  amidst  the  snow,  no  particular 
incident  occurred  until  we  neared  the  upper  end  of  the  glacier, 
when  the  noise  of  falling  water  warned  us  we  were  approach- 
ing a  cascade,  and  we  were  soon  in  the  midst  of  a  scene  of 
wild  beauty.  A  large  waterfall  and  several  smaller  ones,  fed 
by  the  snows  of  the  Wetterhorn,  poured  from  the  summit  of 
the  ragged  cliif  on  our  left  hand,  and  their  waters  forced  their 
way  amongst  the  rocks  with  thundering  din  on  their  passage 
to  the  shattered  glacier  below. 

To  save  making  a  long  detour,  our  ladder  was  put  in  requi- 
sition, in  order  to  cross  the  stream  from  the  great  waterfall 
close  to  the  fall.  During  the  fixing  of  the  ladder,  I  was  sur- 
prised to  see  a  stone  fly  suddenly  past  us,  close  to  the  head  of 
one  of  the  porters,  and  we  soon  discovered  that  the  fall  brought 
down  quantities  of  stones  which,  striking  upon  the  basin  into 
which  the  water  fell,  were  shot  out  obliquely  with  tremendous 
violence.  This  discovery  quickened  our  movements.  As  soon 
as  the  ladder  was  fixed  Aimer  and  Bohren  crossed,  and  I  fol- 
lowed, my  legs  getting  wet  through  in  a  moment  from  the 
spray,  and  having  a  narrow  escape  from  a  stone,  which  struck 
the  brim  of  my  hat  whilst  climbing  the  opposite  bank.  We 
were  watching  the  passage  of  the  porters,  when  suddenly  I 
perceived  the  foremost  stagger,  having  evidently  been  struck 
by  a  stone.  The  poor  fellow  just  managed  to  totter  up  to  us, 
when  he  sank  upon  his  knee  with  his  face  covered  with  blood 
from  a  bad  cut  in  the  head.  I  immediately  pulled  out  my 
brandy  flask  and  poured  the  contents  down  his  throat ;  and 
recollecting  the  rule  laid  down  by  the  renowned  borderer  Dan- 
die  Dinmont,  in  "  Guy  Mannering,"  that  "  the  best  way's  to 
let  the  blood  barken  upon  the  cut,"  I  would  not  allow  the 
wound  to  be  washed,  but  bound  it  up  as  it  v/as  with  a  pocket 
handkerchief.     The  guides  relieved  him  of  his  burden,  and 


208  EUROPE. 

washed  his  face,  and  in  a  little  while  we  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  him,  although  weak,  revive  sufficiently  to  be  able  to 
go  on. 

After  some  rough  walking  and  climbing  over  the  rocks, 
we  rounded  the  cliff  on  our  left,  and  reached  a  place  on  the 
summit  somewhat  approaching  a  level.  A  short  walk  brought 
us  in  front  of  a  huge  boulder,  or  rather  a  cluster  of  boulders 
thrown  together,  and  here  the  guides  halted,  and,  pointing  to  a 
hole  close  to  the  ground,  informed  me  we  had  arrived  at  "  The 
Chief  Hotel."* 

The  baskets  and  knapsacks  were  immediately  put  dovni, 
and  preparations  made  for  coffee,  Bohren,  who  was  of  a  rest- 
less disposition,  and  had  lingered  behind  poking  the  handle  of 
his  ice  axe  into  all  the  crannies  he  could  find,  came  running 
up  to  tell  us  that  in  one  of  them  he  had  touched  a  marmot. 
Most  men  are^  by  nature  Nimrods  ;  and  there  are  few  that  the 
prospect  of  a  chase  after  even  a  rat  does  not  excite.  Shaking 
off  my  fatigue,  and  seizing  an  empty  bag  and  an  axe,  I  ran  to 
the  spot  with  Aimer,  and  Ave  all  three  were  soon  engaged  with 
the  axes,  digging  like  mad  men  to  get  at  the  poor  marmot ; 
but  although  we  tore  up  the  turf  and  stones  for  some  distance, 
and  actually  arrived  at  its  bedchamber  under  a  large  flat 
boulder,  the  marmot  was  too  quick  for  us,  and  opened  a  way 
out  before  we  could  reach  it. 

After  the  hunt,  I  made  a  sketch  of  the  Schreckhorn,  enjoyed 
a  good  meal  and  a  cup  of  coffee,  then  lay  down  upon  the  sheep- 
skin with  my  knapsack  for  a  pillow,  and  covering  myself  over 
with  a  blanket  was  soon  fast  asleep.  "When  my  companions 
retired  for  the  night,  Bohren  roused  me  up,  and  tried  hard  to 
persuade  me  to  enter  their  burrow  under  the  rock ;  but  I  did 

*  This  hole  or  cave  is,  I  believe,  the  same  used  by  Mr.  Wills  during  Ms 
ascent  of  the  Wetterhorn.  I  think  that,  without  reference  to  an  ascent,  two 
or  three  days  might  be  most  agreeably  spent  by  using  it  as  headquarters, 
and  making  excursions  from  it  to  the  neighboring  rocks  and  glaciers.  The 
scenery  aroimd  is  magnificent. 


THE  scheeckhoe:n'. 


209 


not  like  the  look  of  it,  so,  finding  me  determined  to  stay  where 
I  was,  he  disappeared  with  the  others,  crawling  backwards 
through  the  hole,  and  I  once  more  settled  to  sleep. 

I  was  awakened  about  one  in  the  morning  by  thunder,  and, 
poking  out  my  head  from  under  the  blanket,  I  found  that  it 
was  raining  fast.  Up  I  jumped,  rolled  up  my  bed,  placed  it 
at  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  and  bawled  to  the  guides  to  take  it 
in.  After  some  sleepy  observations  from  within,  the  •  bundle 
disappeared,  and,  lying  down  upon  my  face,  I  backed  in  after 
it.  I  found  the  hole  more  capacious  than  I  had  imagined,  and 
passing  to  the  end,  enjoyed  a  good  rest. 


MOUNTAIN   SCENERY   IN  SWITZERLAND. 


In  the  morning  it  was  still  raining,  and  after  taking  break- 
fast my  companions  went  to  sleep  again.  I  arranged  the  sheep- 
skin at  the  entrance  of  the  hole,  and  passed  an  unpleasant  day, 
lying  with  my  head  out  like  a  marmot,  by  turns  dozing  and 
watching  the  weather  and  the  Schreckhorn,  which  I  could  see 
from  my  resting-place. 


210  EUEOPE. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  rain  cleared  off,  my  companions 
shook  off  their  lethargy,  and  we  all  turned  out  to  look  about 
us.  As  we  stood  with  our  backs  to  our  resting-place,  the 
Wetterhorn  was  on  our  left,  the  Schreckhorn  on  our  right, 
whilst  in  front  rose  a  rocky  barrier,  up  which  we  had  to  climb 
in  pursuing  our  route.  Aimer  determined  at  once  to  climb 
this  barrier,  until  we  reached  a  spot  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  point  where  we  were  to  take  to  the  ice,  and  there  to  pass 
the  night,  so  as  to  make  a  good  start  in  the  morning  should 
the  weather  prove  favorable.  As  any  thing  was  better  than 
the  monotony  of  our  present  position,  I  was  glad  enough  when 
we  packed  up  our  traps  and  bade  adieu  to  our  hotel,  which 
certainly  possessed  one  great  recommendation,  that  there  was 
no  maitre  d'hotel  to  present  his  bill,  and  no  garyons  to  levy 
backsheesh  upon  the  guests. 

After  climbing  to  the  height  desired  we  found  an  over- 
'hanging  rock,  under  which  we  took  up  our  quarters.  The 
guides  and  porters  built  a  little  wall  round  us  to  keep  out  the 
wind,  and  we  kindled  a  fire  and  made  a  good  meal  of  coffee, 
ham,  and  eggs.  Bohren  found  a  little  hole  in  the  rock  higher 
up,  which  he  said  just  held  him,  and  the  three  porters  found 
one  lower  down,  so  the  four  betook  themselves  to  theu'  bed- 
chambers, and  I  was  left  alone  with  Aimer. 

We  kept  up  our  fire,  and  as  I  did  not  feel  any  inclination  to 
sleep,  I  sat  up  for  some  time,  with  a  blanket  round  me,  smok- 
ing my  pipe  and  musing  upon  my  strange  situation.  Aimer 
kept  me  company,  as  he  refused  to  lie  down  unless  I  did. 
When  he  did  lie  down,  I  found  that  little  Bohren  had  carried 
off  the  sheepskin,  and  I  had  several  times  to  rise  and  remove 
sharp  stones  whose  points  stuck  into  my  back  and  rendered 
sleeping  impossible.  To  add  to  my  discomfort,  the  rain  again 
began  to  fall  and  was  driven  in  upon  me  by  the  wind,  which 
was  very  cold,  so  that  at  length  I  was  glad  enough  to  get  up 
again.  Wrapping  my  blanket  around  my  shoulders,  I  sat 
down  and  anxiously  watched  the  flying  clouds.     On  my  left 


THE    SCHEECKHOEN.  211 

hand,  as  I  sat  witli  my  back  against  the  rock,,  in  tantalizing 
proximity  rose  the  Schreckhorn.  When  a  cloud  less  dense 
than  others  passed  before  it,  its  outline  became  dimly  visible, 
and  at  the  same  time  showed  that  the  moon  was  shining 
brightly  behind  it,  her  Kght  piercing  the  thin  veil  of  cloud, 
and  for  a  moment  touching  snow  and  glacier  with  her  rays. 
Looking  straight  before  me,  I  could  mark  in  the  distance  the 
noble  outline  of  the  Niesen,  and,  as  if  suspended  in  mid-air,  a 
small  speck  of  light,  which  I  felt  sure  must  be  the  reflection 
of  the  moon  shining  upon  the  lake  of  Thifn.  The  clouds  flew 
rapidly  past,  gradually  becoming  thinner  and  fewer,  until  by 
degrees  the  stars  became  visible,  the  rain  ceased,  and  about 
two  A.  M.  the  moon  was  shining  in  a  cloudless  sky.  The 
Schreckhorn  on  my  left,  and  the  Wetterhorn  on  my  right 
hand,  stood  out  in  bold  distinctness,  the  snows  around  them 
looking  like  frosted  silver ;  and  the  distant  lake  of  Thun 
quivered  and  sparkled  in  the  moonlight. 

Aimer  replenished  the  fire  and  made  a  good  supply  of 
coffee ;  as  soon  as  it  was  ready  we  shouted  to  wake  Bohren 
and  the  porters.  After  considerable  exercise  of  our  lungs, 
some  faint  halloos  announced  that  Bohren  in  the  attic,  and  the 
porters  on  the  ground  floor,  were  awake  ;  but  it  was  a  long  time 
before  the  lazy  fellows  would  turn  out.  As  soon  as  we  were 
assembled,  breakfast  began  ;  and  after  it  was  over  we  packed 
up  such  things  as  we  considered  necessary  to  carry  with  us, 
and  leaving  the  rest  behind,  at  half-past  six  o'clock  we  left  our 
resting-place. 

Above  us  extended  a  long  ridge  of  perpendicular  rock,  with 
the  glacier  resting  upon  its  summit  and  forming  a  continuation 
of  its  face  ;  but  never  projecting  far  beyond  the  edge,  as  the 
moment  any  portion  of  the  ice  was  forced  by  the  pressure  be- 
hind beyond  the  edge,  it  broke  off"  from  the  main  body  and 
plunged  down  the  precipice.  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  see 
the  fall  of  an  enormous  mass,  which  went  thundering  down, 
striking  projecting  points  of  rock,  and  turning  and  bounding 


212  '  EUROPE. 

until  it  reached  the  rocks  below,  where  it  was  shivered  into 
thousands  of  fragments,  throwing  up  a  perfect  cloud  of  icy 
spray. 

The  cliff  seemed  to  bar  further  progress  ;  but  at  one  point 
there  was  fortunately  a  depression  over  which  the  glacier 
flowed,  and  from  that  point  we  soon  made  our  way  to  the  ice 
above,  where  a  striking  scene  awaited  us.  On  our  right,  deep 
below,  ran  the  main  channel  of  the  great  glacier,  on  our  left, 
far  above  us,  and  shutting  in  the  view,  was  a  long  jagged  ridge 
of  huge  ice  pinnacles  which  gradually  descended,  bearing  to 
the  right  until  it  terminated  at  a  point  abutting  on  the  main 
channel,  the  portion  of  the  glacier  upon  which  we  were  stand- 
ing being  magnificently  crevassed.  To  the  before-mentioned 
point  we  directed  our  steps,  but  the  crevasses  were  so  large 
and  numerous,  that  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  thread  our 
^ay  amongst  them,  and  it  somewhat  taxed  Aimer's  sagacity 
to  find  a  route.  Several  times  we  had  to  abandon  the  path  we 
were  following,  and  try  another ;  but  by  perseverance  we  ar- 
rived at  our  point,  and  shortly  afterwards  reached  the  neve. 

We  found  ourselves  in  the  centre  of  a  valley  of  snow,  with 
a  gentle  inclination  upwards.  The  passage  amongst  the  cre- 
vasses had  so  engrossed  my  attention  that  I  had  been  unable 
to  look  about  me,  but  now  I  observed  for  the  first  time,  that 
instead  of  a  single  peak,  as  the  Schreckhom  had  always  ap- 
peared to  me  to  be,  there  were  two  distinct  peaks.  I  was 
perfectly  puzzled,  and  pointing  to  the  nearer,  I  asked  what  it 
was.  "  Schreckhorn,"  was  Aimer's  reply.  *'And  that?"  I 
said,  pointing  to  the  farther  and  higher.  "  Schreckhom,"  was 
also  the  reply. 

I  could  only  suppose  that  from  the  points  of  view  whence 
I  had  hitherto  regarded  the  Schreckhom,  the  higher  peak  had 
been  blended  with,  or  hidden  by,  the  lower  one.  I  of  course 
determined  to  try  the  higher. 

The  valley  in  which  we  stood  terminated  in  a  ridge,  for 
the  most  part  covered  with  snow,  dividing  the  upper  glacier 


THE   SCHRECKHOEK.  213 

of  Grindelwald  from  the  Lauter  Aar  glacier.  Straight  hefore 
us,  however,  and  at  the  near  side  of  the  col,  was  a  portion  of 
bare  rock,  which  formed  a  conspicuous  object  in  the  distance, 
and  seemed  a  spur  of  the  higher  peak  of  the  Schreckhorn,  pro- 
jecting from  the  snow  in  the  same  manner  as  one  sees  portions 
of  the  roots  of  large  trees  projecting  from  the  soil,  far  from 
the  stem  they  support.  "We  marched  past  the  lower  peak,  and 
made  straight  for  this  mark,  the  sun  struggling  through  the 
clouds  and  shedding  a  watery  glare  around,  whilst  the  white- 
ness of  the  snow  on  the  peaks  showed  that,  unfortunately  for 
us,  it  was  fresh  fallen.  Before  us  to  our  left  was  a  dome  of 
snow,  with  an  alpenstock  planted  in  the  top  of  it  by  one  of  a 
party  who  had  lately  reached  this  rarely  visited  spot.  As  we 
advanced  our  mark  appeared  larger  and  larger,  until  upon 
coming  up  to  it,  I  found  it  was  a  very  large  frontage  of  rock 
with  a  quantity  of  fragments  at  its  base.  To  the  right  ran  ^ 
steep  wall  of  snow,  forming  one  side  of  a  great  crevasse  or 
hergschrund,  the  opposite  side  of  which  was  much  higher,  and 
rose  from  the  edge  in  a  steep  slope.  The  crevasse  cut  us  off 
entirely  from  the  peak. 

"We  all  stood  for  some  time  staring  at  the  rock  and  the 
crevasse,  and  as  no  one  seemed  inclined  to  take  a  decisive  step, 
I  marched  off  to  the  left  of  the  rock,  with  an  idea  of  taking 
the  difficulty  in  flank.  Aimer  and  Bohren  followed,  but  I  had 
not  gone  far  when  they  begged  me  to  stop,  and  Aimer  shook 
his  head,  and  led  the  way  back  again.  I  have  always  regret- 
ted since  that  I  did  not  persevere,  as  we  could  not  have  met 
with  greater  difficulties  than  we  afterwards  encountered. 

Away  we  then  went  to  the  right,  examining  the  crevasse 
carefully  as  we  went  along,  but  for  some  time  there  appeared 
not  the  slightest  chance  of  crossing.  After  a  close  examination, 
however,  Aimer  hit  upon  a  place  where  he  determined  to  at- 
tempt the  passage,  and  the  ladder  being  set  up,  I  mounted  with 
him  and  Bohren  to  the  edge  of  the  crevasse  on  our  side. 

We  had  scarcely  done  so  when  an  avalanche  of  fresh  snow 


214 


EUEOPE. 


descended  from  the  slope  on  the  opposite  side.  Lucky  it  was 
for  us  that  we  had  not  crossed !  The  larger  portion  of  the 
avalanche  fell  into  the  crevasse,  whilst  the  remainder  poured 
steadily  over  us  like  water.  It  came  down  with  a  sound  like 
prolonged  dwelling  with  the  voice  on  the  word  "  hush."  Di- 
rectly I  felt  it  coming  I  struck  the  handle  of  my  ice  axe  into 
the  snow  and  held  on,  crouching  on  my  knees  as  low  as  possi- 


A  VIEW  IN  THE  ALPS. 


ble.  I  was  blinded  by  the  rush  of  snow,  and  thought  at  the 
moment  we  were  all  going  to  be  covered  up.  By  the  time  it 
ceased  I  was  pretty  nearly  in  that  predicament ;  I  was  obliged 
to  pull  my  head  out  of  my  hat,  leaving  the  latter  in  the  snow, 
with  large  lumps  of  which,  like  hods  full  of  mortar,  my  back 
and  shoulders  were  covered.  The  snow  also  filled  my  pockets, 
and  clung  in  lumps  to  every  part  of  my  flannel  clothing.  Bohren 
and  Aimer  were  in  a  similar  plight.  We  had  just  finished 
clearing  off  the  snow  when  a  smaller  avalanche  fell,  and  we 


THE   SCHEECKHOKN.  215 

again  went  through  the  clinging  process.  This  was  too  much, 
and  the  moment  it  ceased,  we  hastily  cleared  off  the  snow,  and 
ran  down  our  ladder  as  fast  as  our  legs  could  carry  us. 

Aimer  now  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  if  we  crossed  the 
crevasse  and  tried  to  climb  the  slope,  we  should  dislodge  the 
fresh  snow  and  be  swept  by  it  into  the  crevasse  ;  and,  as  this 
was  very  evident,  and  it  would  have  been  nothing  short  of 
madness  to  have  persisted  in  a  proceeding  that  would  have 
risked  the  lives  of  the  entire  party,  I  was  obliged  to  relinquish 
the  attempt  to  ascend  the  main  peak. 

It  was  with  deep  disappointment  and  a  heavy  heart  that  I 
saw  the  failure  of  my  hopes,  and  turned  to  survey  the  lower 
peak,  to  which  Aimer  drew  my  attention. 

No  crevasse  appeared  in  our  way,  and  as  Aimer  felt  sure 
we  could  mount  it,  I  agreed  to  try. 

From  where  we  were  standing  a  gentle  descent  conducted 
us  to  the  bottom  of  a  small  valley  running  up  between  the 
peaks.  We  crossed  this,  and  began  to  ascend  the  opposite 
rise,  bearing  to  the  right  toward  a  mass  of  rocks  forming  a 
buttress  to  the  right  side  of  the  lower  peak,  and  divided  from 
it  by  a  steep  slope  of  gnow. 

We  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  we  had  another  proof  of 
the  dangerous  state  of  the_snow.  An  avalanche j  dislodged 
from  the  upper  part  of  the  valley  near  the  base  of  the  peak, 
came  suddenly  down,  sweeping  a  track  about  fifty  feet  in  width, 
and  passing  so  close  to  us  that  I  touched  the  edge  of  its  track 
with  my  axe.  The  effect  was  wonderful.  First  was  heard 
the  noise  I  have  before  described  as  the  snow  began  to  slide 
from  its  bed,  and  then,  as  the  mass  gathered  increased  velocity 
by  its  fall,  a  sort  of  crackling  crunching  sound,  as  the  snow 
was  pressed  into  huge  balls  which  tore  rents  in  the  surface  as 
they  rolled  along. 

As  the  avalanche  passed  me  its  force  was  nearly  spent ; 
but  our  ladder  man,  who  was  some  distance  below  me  with 
the  ladder  over  his  head  and  his  pipe  in  his  mouth,  being 


216  EUEOPE. 

in  its  way,  it  took  him  off  his  legs  and  rolled  him  over,  ladder 
and  all,  amidst  the  laughter  of  the  party. 

After  this  incident  we  left  the  ladder  on  the  snow,  and  lost 
no  time  in  gaining  the  buttress  of  rock  where  we  were  safe 
from  avalanches.  We  climbed  to  its  highest  point,  and  then 
the  axes  came  into  play  to  cut  steps  in  the  icy  slopes  leading 
thence  to  the  base  of  the  peak.  Scarcely  any  snow  rested 
upon  this  peak  ;  it  was  more  perpendicular  than  the  adjoining 
peak  of  the  greater  Schreckhorn,  but  consisted  of  rock  much 
broken  up  by  the  frost,  with  angular  grooves  affording  good 
hold  for  the  hands  and  feet,  and  rendering  it  not  difficult  to 
climb.     We  arrived  at  its  summit  at  three  p.  m. 

I  immediately  exposed  a  thermometer  on  the  highest  point ; 
we  planted  our  flag,  and  drank  a  bottle  of  wine,  and  Aimer 
and  Bohren  set  to  screaming  as  loud  as  possible. 

For  some  time  the  clouds  had  been  gathering  around  us, 
and  the  view  was  any  thing  but  inviting.  The  only  objects 
(and  those  only  occasionally)  visible  were  our  neighbors,  the 
higher  Schreckhorn  peak,  and  the  Wetterhorn,  which  present- 
ed a  very  remarkable  appearance,  having  a  conical  top  of  fresh 
white  snow,  in  shape  exactly  like  a  Mandarin's  hat.  The 
clouds  filled  the  valley,  and  were  massing  themselve§  in  a 
manner  that  betokened  bad  weather. 

After  smoking  my  pipe  and  chatting  with  Bohren  for  some 
time,  I  suggested  that  instead  of  returning  by  the  way  we 
came,  we  should  try  to  descend  the  opposite  side  of  the  peak, 
and  proceed  to  Grindelwald  by  the  lower  glacier.  Aimer  and 
Bohren  at  first  expressed  some  doubts  about  the  practicability 
of  this  course,  but  eventually  agreed  to  try  it. 

Before  leaving,  I  took  up  my  thermometer,  which  marked 
43°  Fahrenheit,  and  wrote  our  names  on  a  piece  of  paper, 
which  I  placed  in  a  bottle,  and  left  for  the  edification  of  those 
who  might  come  after  us.  It  was  in  vain  that  Bohren  attempt- 
ed to  persuade  the  porters  to  return  the  way  they  had  come  ; 
they  would  not  leave  us,  and  we  all  quitted  the  summit 
together.  "^  ^ 


THE    SCHKECKHOEN. 


217 


The  first  portion  of  the  descent  was  extremely  steep ; 
masses  of  the  broken  rocks  were  piled  up  here  and  there, 
wherever  a  shelf  allowed  them  to  accumulate,  and  great  care 
was  required  in  passing  over  them.  They  were  carefully  sur- 
veyed by  Bohren,  who  kicked  over  any  fragment  that  appeared 
dangerous,  and  sent  it  plunging  down  to  the  depths  below,  fre- 
quently setting  others  on  the  move  during  its  course,  until  a 


THE  RUSTIC   BRIDGE. 


perfect  avalanche  of  rocks  was  formed,  which  we  watched  as 
they  crashed  along  until  lost  to  sight  in  the  distance.  I  found 
that  I  got  on  best  by  placing  my  hands  behind  me  and  crawling 
down  on  all  fours  with  my  back  to  the  rock,  and  I  used  this 
mode  of  progression  wherever  the  rock  was  too  steep  to  allow 
of  my  walking  upright.  "When  we  came  to  a  place  a  little 
less  steep  Bohren  walked  upright,  and  looking  back,  encour- 
aged me  to  do  the  same,  saying,  "  One  never  slides  upon 
granite,  sir ; "  but  the  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth 
10 


218  EUROPE. 

when  the  little  man  came  down  upon  his  back  in  a  manner 
that  made  me  infinitely  prefer  my  surer  method. 

We  certainly  during  our  descent  saw  nature  in  her  most 
gloomy  and  sterile  aspect.  Nothing  but  rock !  rock !  bare 
rock !  There  seemed  no  end  to  it.  Once  only  I  remember 
that  the  scene  was  varied,  when  a  change  took  place  in  the 
mineral  character  of  the  rock,  and  we  passed  from  the  granite, 
too  constantly  disintegrated  by  the  frost  to  permit  of  vegetation 
forming  upon  it,  to  a  formation  which,  by  its  composition  or 
the  direction  of  its  cleavage,  is  more  capable  of  resisting  that 
mighty  leveller  of  the  high  places  of  the  earth.  There  the 
cliffs  were  clothed  with  lichens  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
varied  colors,  affording  a  charming  relief  to  the  eye. 

As  we  continued  to  descend,  we  came  now  and  then  to  small 
plateaux,  the  summits  of  fresh  precipices,  down  which  a  passage 
had  to  be  found.  It  was  upon  reaching  one  of  these  that  Boh- 
ren,  approaching  the  edge  of  the  precipice  and  peeping  over, 
shouted  out,  "  Un  chamois  !  "  and  immediately  the  whole  party 
was  thrown  into  a  state  of  great  excitement.  The  animal,  it 
appeared,  was  lying  down  upon  a  ledge  of  rock,  whence  it 
started  off  the  moment  it  saw  Bohren.  It  took  at  first  a  down- 
ward course  out  of  our  sight ;  but  Bohren  directed  me  to 
watch  the  side  of  the  aiguille  near  us,  and  in  a  moment  or  two 
it  came  bounding  up  the  rocks  like  an  arrow,  scattering  the 
loose  stones  in  all  directions.  It  was  within  easy  gun-shot 
range  when,  a  short  distance  above  us,  it  suddenly  turned  to 
the  left  along  a  narrow  ledge  crossing  the  face  of  the  cliff; 
but  when  it  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  ledge  it  was  stopped  by 
a  precipice,  which  compelled  it  to  retrace  its  steps,  after  which 
it  continued  its  upward  course,  and  was  soon  lost  to  view. 

At  one  spot  we  found  ourselves  in  a  complete  fix.  Our 
progress,  like  that  of  the  poor  chamois,  was  stopped  by  a 
precipice,  and  it  seemed  at  first  that  we  must  turn  back ;  but 
peeping  round  a  projecting  rock  we  saw  a  ledge  on  the  other 
side,  and  determined  to  reach  it  if  possible.     It  was  an  ugly 


THE   8CHRECKH0EN.  219 

place  ;  the  face  of  the  rock  went  sheer  down  some  hundreds 
of  feet,  and  you  had,  whilst  clinging  to  the. rock,  to  cast  one 
leg  round  it,  and  feel  for  a  resting-place  for  the  foot.  As  we 
were  not  tied  a  slip  would  have  proved  fatal.  Happily  we  all 
got  round  safely,  and  after  this  we  but  once  more  encountered 
any  serious  peril.  That  was  in  passing  a  tall  cliff  topped  by 
a  glacier,  whose  ice  pinnacles  here  and  there  stood  out  over 
the  edge,  and  appeared  ready  to  fall.  There  was  no  other 
way  to  go.  And  we  all  hurried  along  as  fast  as  the  steepness 
of  the  rocks  would  allow,  keeping  as  close  to  the  cliff  as  possi- 
ble. My  companions  seemed  fully  to  appreciate  the  danger. 
Many  a  wistful  glance  was  cast  upwards,  and  I  felt  very  glad 
when  we  had  left  the  place  far  behind. 

We  had  here  a  fine  opportunity  for  observing  the  wonder- 
ful operation  of  nature  in  the  gradual  reduction  of  the  rocks. 
In  descending  from  the  top,  it  was  curious  to  perceive  how  the 
fragments  became  smaller  and  smaller,  until  we  arrived  at  a 
depth  where  they  were  fairly  reduced  into  earth  covered  with 
patches  of  grass  and  wild  flowers.  These  patches  became 
more  frequent  and  larger  until  the  whole  mountain  side  was 
clothed  in  verdure,  and  we  drew  near  to  the  glacier. 

It  was  a  welcome  sight,  for,  as  we  approached  its  side,  the 
shades  of  evening  began  to  fall ;  but  we  now  felt  sure  of  reach- 
ing Grindelwald,  and  put  forth  our  energies  in  scrambling  over 
the  long  line  of  loose  boulders  which  had  to  be  traversed  be- 
fore we  trod  the  ice.  When  at  length  we  attained  the  object 
of  our  exertions — the  Lower  Glacier  of  Grindelwald — it  began 
to  rain,  which  made  the  passage  over  the  ice  miserable  work, 
and  by  the  time  it  was  over  we  were  thoroughly  wet  through. 
We  left  the  glacier  at  the  point  where  visitors  to  it  usually  get 
upon  the  ice,  and  I  observed  that  the  features  of  the  place  were 
much  altered  since  I  had  last  visited  it.  Early  in  August  of 
the  preceding  year,  1856,  a  deep  chasm  lay  between  the  ice 
and  the  rock,  and  access  to  the  glacier  was  obtained  by  first 
walking  along  a  plank  supported  by  two  pegs  driven  into  the 


220 


EUROPE. 


face  of  the  rock,  aud  then  along  another  plank  which  led 
thence  to  the  ice,  but  on  this  occasion  the  glacier  had  moved 
much  closer  to  the  rock,  and  the  peg-supported  plank  was  no 
longer  necessary. 

The  rest  of  our  journey  was  wretched  in  the  extreme.  It 
was  quite  dark  when  we  passed  through  the  fields  leading  to 
the  hotel ;  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  we  arrived  perfectly 
drenched.  However,  a  warm  bath  and  a  good  night's  rest  set 
me  right,  and  when  the  rain  continued,  and  two  days  after- 
wards I  saw  the  sides  of  the  Eiger  and  the  Wengem  Alps 
covered  with  snow,  I  congratulated  myself  upon  having  es- 
caped so  well. 


.ETNA.  221 


^TNA. 


Though  I  had  never  been  in  Sicily  till  the  spring  of  1858, 
the  peak  of  -^tna  was  as  welcome  as  the  face  of  an  old  friend, 
when  I  saw  it  for  the  first  time  from  the  public  gardens  of  Cal- 
tagirone.  I  had  been  wandering  along  the  western  and  south- 
ern coast  of  Sicily,  with  a  burning  sky,  and — to  speak  truth — 
had  found  a  good  deal  of  the  country  through  which  we  passed 
flat  and  uninteresting.  My  thoughts  and  longings  had  often 
turned  to  the  land  of  glaciers,  but  now  with  a  distance  of  only 
fifty  miles  between  us  I  saw  a  veritable  snow  besprinkled 
mountain,  and  dwelt  Y»^ith  pleasure  on  the  thought  that  in  three 
or  four  days'  time,  if  all  were  well,  I  should  know  something 
more  about  its  sunrnait. 

I  reached  Catania  about  mid-day  on  the  29th  of  April,  and 
could  I  have  had  my  own  way,  should  have  started  that  after- 
noon for  the  ascent ;  but  my  worthy  guide,  Giuseppe  Lazarro, 
who,  in  common  with  all  other  Sicilians,  fully  believes  that  to 
go  to  the  top  of  ^tna  is  a  most  tremendous  undertaking,  by 
no  means  to  be  treated  with  levity,  or  without  the  most  careful 
preparation,  insisted  on  my  waiting  till  the  following  day. 
Feeling  that  he  was  much  too  good  a  fellow  to  quarrel  with,  I 
yielded  to  his  arrangement,  nay,  I  carried  my  submission  so 
far  as  to  permit  him  to  purchase  for  me  an  efieminate  appa- 
ratus of  worsted  gloves  and  stockings,  without  which  he  de- 
clared I  could  not  possibly  succeed  in  the  attempt.  I  did  indeed 
protest  at  first,  and  explained,  but  in  vain,  that  I  had  gone  up 
one  or  two  hills  before,  and  that  I  had  never  found  the  want 
of  them.  "  ^tna,"  said  he,  solemnly,  "  is  different  from  all 
other  mountains.  Many  gentlemen  who  had  been  in  Switzer- 
land have  talked  to  me  as  you  do  now  before  they  ascended 
JEtna,  but  when  they  came  down  they  said,  '  Your  mountain 
is  terrible,  it  is  far  more  difiicult  than  any  thing  in  Switzer- 
land.' "     Unwilling  to  wound  his  patriotic  feelings,  I  yielded 


EUROPE. 

the  point,  and  telling  him  to  get  what  he  pleased,  but  to  be 
particularly  careful  that  we  had  enough  to  eat  and  to  drink, 
went  out  for  a  drive  through  the  environs  of  Catania.  The 
road  to  Messina  by  the  shores  of  the  blue  Mediterranean  (by 
the  bye,  it  is  really  blue,  bluer  even  than  the  Rhone  at  Geneva) 
is  extremely  pleasant.  Low  hills  rising  close  to  the  sea  shut 
out  the  view  of  the  volcano  itself,  but  you  are  constantly  re- 
minded of  its  proximity  by  the  fantastic  masses  of  lava,  which 
form  the  only  beach  for  some  distance.  This  lava  is  very 
black,  and  were  it  not  for  the  wildness  of  its  forms  would  have 
a  sombre  effect.  But  as  it  is,  the  graceful  fluid  lines,  and  the 
crested  waves  that  tell  of  the  fiery  storm  which  must  once 
have  raged  there,  are  any  thing  but  disagreeable  to  the  eye. 
There  are,  moreover,  many  little  flowering  plants,  which  grow 
even  in  the  fissures  of  the  lava  ;  and  wherever  any  accumula- 
tion of  earth  has  taken  place,  there  is  plenty  of  bright  green 
foliage. 

Catania  itself  is  built  upon  this  same  bed  of  lava,  which 
extends  for  some  miles  in  the  direction  I  was  now  travelling, 
and  also  for  nearly  three  miles  to  the  south  of  the  town,  as  I 
found,  somewhat  to  my  disappointment,  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, when  in  search  of  a  sandy  shore,  where  I  might  bathe 
with  comfort.  Indeed,  you  are  completely  haunted  by  lava  ; 
walls  are  built  of  it,  roads  are  mended  with  it ;  you  sit  down 
upon  a  bench,  it  is  made  of  lava  ;  you  buy  a  pipe  bowl,  and  it 
is  lava  too ;  ladies  wear  it  in  a  thousand  forms  round  their 
wrists,  and  round  their  necks,  in  their  ears,  and  on  their 
bosoms.  I  almost  wonder  they  don't  make  it  into  something 
to  eat ;  perhaps  they  do,  for  their  "zuppa"  is  remarkably  like 
hot  water  with  a  sprinkling  of  dirt  in  it,  and  this  is  very  prob- 
ably grated  lava. 

We  left  Catania  on  the  following  day,  at  2.15  p.  m.,  in  full 
marching  order,  as  we  were  to  pursue  our  route  toward  Mes- 
sina, after  ascending  -Sltna. 

The  road  to  Nicolosi  is  a  sharp  ascent  of  twelve  miles,  but 


JETNA.  223 

as  Giuseppe  had  made  up  his  mind  that  we  were  to  have  the 
best  inn's  best  room,  and  as  we  knew  that  there  were  one  or 
two  other  parties  on  the  road,  we  kept  our  mules  going  at  a 
very  pretty  pace,  and  reached  the  resting-place  in  two  hours 
and  a  quarter,  some  considerable  time  before  our  pursuers. 

Giuseppe  was  certainly  right  in  his  selection.  Our  inn  was 
very  preferable  to  the  rival  establishment ;  but  our  haste  cost 
us  dear  in  one  respect,  as  one  of  the  mules,  who  carried  the 
greater  part  of  the  baggage,  the  whole  kitchen  apparatus,  and 
the  muleteer,  sweated  profusely,  and  then,  being  put  into  a 
cold  stable  (of  course  his  master  never  thought  of  rubbing 
him  down) ,  was  seized  with  a  severe  fit  of  shivering.  Alas, 
poor  beast,  had  he  been  in  England,  he  would  have  had  a 
warm  mash  and  a  good  rub ;  as,  however,  he  was  in  Sicily, 
he  was  taken  to  the  doctor's  and  bled ! !  *  Of  course  the  next 
morning  he  was  too  weak  for  his  regular  work,  and  I  had  the 
privilege  of  riding  him,  while  my  own  favorite,  who,  though 
the  snortingest  of  beasts,  had  a  peculiarly  pleasant  amble,  was 
compelled  to  carry  the  pots  and  pans. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  Nicolosi,  I  went  to  pay  my  respects, 
to  Dr.  Gemellaro,  a  wealthy  landowner  in  those  parts,  who 
considers  ^tna  under  his  special  patronage.  He  is  a  partic- 
ularly agreeable  and  courteous  old  gentleman,  and  takes  great 
pleasure  in  receiving  strangers,  and  talking  with  them  about 
his  own  mountain,  or  about  the  discoveries  of  modern  science, 
for  which  he  has  a  most  profound  respect.  His  kindness,  how- 
ever, is  not  confined  to  mere  courtesy,  but  he  voluntarily  under- 

*  An  English  coachman  in  the  service  of  a  Neapolitan  nobleman,  told 
me  an  amusing  incident,  illustrative  of  the  intense  love  for  bleeding  amongst 
Italians.  He  was  driving  a  pair  of  young  and  spirited  horses,  who  taking 
fright  upset  the  carriage,  and  he  was  thrown  from  the  box.  Being,  how- 
ever, only  slightly  damaged,  he  had  shaken  himself,  and  was  proceeding  at 
once  to  assist  his  prostrate  horses,  when  two  worthies  with  solemn  faces 
came  up,  and  while  one  presented  a  chair,  the  other  drew  forth  a  lancet,  and 
entreated  to  be  allowed  to  let  a  little  blood.  If  I  rightly  remember  the  con- 
clusion of  the  story,  the  blood  that  flowed  was  not  English. 


224  EUEOPE. 

takes  to  arrange  for  his  visitors  the  whole  business  of  guides 
and  mules  for  the  ascent.  In  fact,  he  kindly  acts  as  a  sort  of 
honorary  chef  des  guides,  and  performs  the  duties  of  the  office 
most  efficiently.  I  told  him  that  although  I  was  aware  he 
would  have  others  to  provide  for  soon,  I  wished  to  be  inde- 
pendent, and  should  be  obliged  by  his  securing  for  me  a  good 
guide,  with  whom  I  might  push  on  in  advance  if  I  thought  fit. 
This  he  promised  to  do,  and  after  a  long  and  pleasant  chat,  I 
bade  him  good-bye,  with  a  promise  to  pay  him  another  visit 
on  my  return  from  the  top. 

From  the  doctor's  I  went  to  the  second  inn,  where  I  found 
my  fellow-travellers  that  were  to  be.  They  were  four  in  num- 
ber, two  Italian  gentlemen,  and  a  Parisian  and  his  wife,  lately 
married,  and  making,  as  I  fancied,  their  wedding  trip.*  He 
was  a  very  genial,  lively  fellow,  and  his  wife  a  most  agreeable 
mixture  of  courage  and  modesty,  a  blushing,  feminine  little 
woman,  but  full  of  enterprise,  and  ready  for  any  thing,  though 
more  than  half  afraid  she  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  her  own 
boldness. 

We  started  together  at  eight  o'clock  p.  m.,  they  with  three 
guides,  and  I  with  my  one,  besides  which  we  were  honored 
with  the  company  of  a  queer  nondescript  kind  of  gentleman, 
distantly  connected,  I  believe,  with  the  mules,  who  carried  a 
lantern,  and  who  was  the  only  pedestrian  of  the  party. 

The  ascent  was  very  gradual  at  first.  It  lay  over  lava,  in 
some  parts  very  rough,  but  for  the  most  part  formed  into  a 
good  enough  road.  The  pace  was  decidedly  slow,  but  not  so 
the  conversation,  for  we  chatted,  and  laughed,  and  sang  right 
merrily.  After  we  had  been  moving  about  an  hour,  the  moon 
rose  in  a  nearly  cloudless  sky,  and  showed  us  the  sea  girdling 
the  plain  at  our  feet,  while  we  got  a  more  accurate  view  of 

*  They  had  left  Palermo  a  day  or  two  in  advance  of  me,  and  had  passed 
over  nearly  the  same  ground.  How  they  managed  in  such  wretched  hovels 
as  the  so-called  inns  at  Sciacca,  Montallegro  (any  thing  but  a  "cheerful 
mountain"),  and  Caltagirone,  I  cannot  conceive. 


iETNA.  225 

one  another  than  we  had  been  able  to  obtain  by  the  aid  of  our 
Jack-a-Lantern.  We  now  soon  came  on  to  some  grass  slopes, 
dotted  with  small  scraggy  oaks,  and  fine  chestnut  trees,  but, 
unfortunately,  we  were  too  early  in  the  season  for  foliage  at  so 
great  an  elevation. 

At  ten  a  halt  was  called  to  rest  and  feed  the  mules,  and 
half  an  hour  was  spent,  if  not  wasted,  on  this  plea.  The 
guides  collected  a  bundle  of  wood,  and  had  a  roaring  fire  in 
no  time.  They  seemed  to  find  much  solace  in  its  warmth ; 
but  we  were  not  at  all  cold,  and  preferred  forming  ourselves 
into  a  second  group  at  some  distance,  where  we  spent  the  time 
principally  in  growling  at  the  weather,  which  had  changed  in 
the  most  shameless  manner,  for  heavy  masses  of  cloud  were 
rolling  in  upon  us,  and  threatened  rain  or  snow  before 
morning. 

Our  spirits,  however,  were  decidedly  anti-barometrical,  as 
I  think  they  rather  rose  than  the  reverse  ;  and,  assuming  at 
the  bidding  of  the  guides,  the  worsted  overalls  we  had  brought 
with  us,  we  got  again  into  the  saddle  at  10.30.  We  had  not 
ridden  far,  when  we  came  to  our  first  snow,  all  of  which,  by 
the  bye,  is  the  property  of  his  lordship  the  Bishop  of  Catania, 
who  is  said  to  make  a  goodly  income  by  the  sale  of  an  article 
which  is  the  universal  summer  luxury  of  the  Sicilian  population. 
It  lay  scattered  about  in  large  patches,  filling  up  the  hollows 
of  the  grass  slopes,  and  partially  concealing  the  banks  of  lava 
which  were  very  broken  and  irregular,  and  which  gave  some 
trouble  to  our  beasts.  Vociferation,  however,  and  kicking 
will  always  rouse  a  Sicilian  mule  to  super-brutal  efforts  ;  and 
the  style  in  which  my  beast,  who  was  leading,  took  each 
mauvais  pas  was  highly  creditable.  Leaping  and  climbing 
almost  with  the  steadiness  and  agility  of  a  goat,  he  seemed  as 
much  at  home  among  snow  and  lava,  as  on  a  high  road  ;  but 
non  omnia  possumus  omnes,  "  all  mules  have  not  the  same  legs," 
and  the  difficulties  of  sundry  inferior  animals  in  the  caravan, 
who  hesitated  to  follow  his  brilliant  example,  warned  us  about 
10* 


226 


EUROPE. 


12.45  that  it  was  time  to  think  of  picketing  the  beasts,  and 
trusting  to  our  own  exertions  for  the  rest  of  the  ascent. 

The  doctor  had  very  kindly  presented  me  with  a  bottle  of 
wine  grown  upon  the  mountain  ;  and  although  I  had  originally 
some  idea  of  drinking  it  on  the  summit,  I  felt  now  that,  as  it 
was  highly  improbable  that  the  rest  of  the  party  would  be  with 
me  there,  it  would  be  more  in  accordance  with  good  fellow- 
ship to  attack  it  at  once.  I  announced,  therefore,  to  the  group 
around  me  the  prize  I  had  got,  and  the  treat  I  intended  for 
them ;  and  taking  from  my  pocket  that  instrument  which  no 
wise  traveller  is  ever  without,  drew  forth  the  envious  cork 
that  separated  us  from  the  promised  nectar. 

The  bouquet  was  peculiar,  perhaps  volcanic  ;  but  I  passed 
the  cup  round  to  each  in  turn,  commencing,  of  course,  with  my 
fair  friend.  It  was  received  by  each  with  solemnity  befitting 
the  occasion.  There  was  silence.  The  draught  was  too  ex- 
quisite to  allow  of  words.  My  turn  came  to  drink,  and  I 
drank. 

There  is  a  somewhat  musty  proverb  as  to  the  impropriety 
of  examining  the  mouth  of  a  gift  horse,  moreover  it  is  written, 
nil  nisi  bonum  de  mortuis  !  Be  not  alarmed,  dear  reader  ;  the 
doctor  lives,  happily,  and  is  still  the  source  of  happiness  to  all 
around  him  ;  but  the  bottle — the  bottle  lies  "  down  among  the 
dead  men,"  and  perhaps  I  ought  to  say  no  more  about  it ;  yet 
for  the  sake  of  science,  and  that  wine  merchants  may  be  en- 
abled to  offer  the  article,  as  "  something  very  curious,"  to  their 
customers,  who  live  at  home  at  ease,  I  venture  to  suggest  that 
the  "  genuine  w3Etna  wine"  niay  be  successfully  manufactured 
by  drowning  a  box  of  lucifers  in  a  bottle  of  Cape. 

Dear  Gemellaro,  thy  heart  is  more  generous  than  thy  wine, 
and  for  an  hour's  pleasant  chat  with  thee,  I  would  gladly  sub- 
mit to  be  drenched  with  a  more  nauseous  fluid  than  that  first 
draught  which  I  imbibed  on  the  morning  of  May-day,  1858. 

I  soon  found,  as  I  anticipated,  that  my  pace  was  more 
rapid  than  that  of  the  other  travellers,  but  I  did  not  expect 


.-ETNA.  .  2^7 

that  I  should  knock  up  my  guide  in  the  first  quarter  of  an 
hour.  A  sound  of  heavy  panting,  however,  just  behind  my 
ear,  informed  me  that  unless  I  intended  to  go  up  entirely  by 
myself,  I  must  slacken  sail.  "We  were  at  this  time  ascending 
the  easiest  possible  snow  slopes,  very  gentle  rise,  and  the  snow 
just  crunching  to  the  foot,  so  that  nothing  could  have  been  bet- 
ter for  a  good  burst.  But  when  I  asked  my  panting  companion 
if  he  would  like  a  minute's  rest,  he  snatched  at  the  idea  with 
eager  gratitude,  but  evidently  had  some  further  suggestion  to 
make.  At  last,  upon  encouragement,  he  spake,  and  gave  me 
to  understand  that  the  pace  was  not  only  unnecessary,  but  in- 
convenient. "  The  signor  wishes  to  see  the  sunrise  from  the 
summit  ?  "  "  Assuredly  the  signor  does."  "  But  if  his  excellency 
goes  so  fast,  he  will  be  there  an  hour  and  a  half  before  the 
time."  In  short,  it  was  clear  that,  if  I  persevered  in  the  pace 
I  had  adopted,  we  should  reach  the  top  in  less  than  two  hours  ; 
and  as  I  felt  it  would  be  absurd  to  select  that  as  a  waiting- 
place,*  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  lounge  lazily  up,  and 
take  as  much  time  over  the  ascent  as  possible.  But  with  a 
clear  moonlight  night,  and  an  Alpine  comrade  or  two,  guides 
might  be  despised,  and  at  least  two  hours  saved  in  the  ascent. 
That  is  to  say,  the  travellers  might  safely  start  two  hours  later 
than  the  usual  time,  and  be  sure  of  reaching  the  summit  half 
an  hour  before  sunrise. f 

Our  route  lay  principally  over  beds  of  lava,  sometimes 
bare,  but  more  often  covered  with  a  thin  coating  of  snow,  and 
occasionally  we  trod  on  the  solid  rock,  if  such  a  word  as  solid 

*  This  was  my  feeling  at  the  time,  but  I  afterwards  discovered  that  it 
would  have  really  been  very  agreeable  to  have  had  a  two  hours'  snooze  in 
the  warm  ashes  at  the  top. 

f  The  only  place  where  there  could  be  the  slightest  danger  in  ascending 
without  a  guide,  is  the  edge  of  the  crater.  If  there  were  as  much  smoke  as 
on  the  night  I  ascended,  a  stranger  might  reach  the  edge  before  he  was 
aware  of  it ;  but  bearmg  in  mind  that  he  must  begin  to  expect  it  in  twenty- 
five  minutes  from  the  Casa  degli  Inglesi,  he  could  come  to  no  mishap  if  he 
walked  warily. 


328  EUROPE. 

can  be  applied  to  a  volcano.  At  2.30  we  reached  the  Casa 
degli  Inglesi,  now  a  ruined  shed  filled  with  snow,  but  one  of 
the  doctor's  darling  projects  is  to  rebuild  it  in  a  much  grander 
and  more  substantial  form.  And  I  cannot  but  hope  that  all 
visitors  will  increase  his  subscription  list  according  to  their 
means,  for  he  has  obtained  a  sadly  small  percentage  of  the  re- 
quired sum. 

Choosing  the  sheltered  side  of  the  hut,  we  sat  down  for 
half  an  hour's  chat,  which  was  certainly  conducted  under  dif- 
ficulties, my"  Italian  being  Anglo-Tuscan,  and  the  guide's  still 
worse,  for  the  genuine  Sicilian  bears  as  close  a  resemblance 
to  Italian  as  the  broadest  Scotch  does  to  the  language  of 
Cockaigne.  We  managed,  however,  to  get  on  very  well,  and 
our  good  understanding  was  promoted  by  a  good  pull  at  some 
vino  delpaese  (which,  though  not  brilliant,  was  also,  happily, 
not  volcanic),  till  at  three  o'clock  we  started  for  the  ascent  of 
the  final  cone. 

This  was  almost  entirely  covered  with  loose  fine  ashes,  and 
as  the  slope  was  steep,  it  was  stiffish  work,  and  the  occasional 
pieces  of  bare  rock  were  very  welcome,  though  after  all  it 
was  but  a  short  aflfair.  In  about  thirty-five  minutes  my  guide 
threw  himself  down,  and  when  I  suggested  that  it  was  a  pity 
to  wait,  tiU  we  had  reached  the  summit,  he  informed  me  that 
we  were  there  already.  We  were,  in  fact  within  twenty  yards 
of  the  edge  of  the  crater ;  but  the  smoke  was  so  dense  that 
we  could  see  nothing. 

The  quantity  of  smoke  that  issues  from  JEtna  is  very  va- 
riable, and  in  still  weather  it  ascends  so  vertically  that  the 
visitor  finds  no  inconvenience  from  it.  But  unfortunately  this 
morning  there  was  a  great  deal  of  wind,  and  we  had  been  ter- 
ribly annoyed  and  half  suffocated  for  some  time  by  the  dense 
sulphurous  volumes  beaten  down  upon  us.  I  now  lay  down  in 
the  ashes,  which  were  very  warm  and  comfortable  ;  and  avoid- 
ing the  vapor,  by  keeping  my  face  quite  close  to  the  hill  side, 
settled  myself  do^vn  for  half  an  hour's  doze,  in  the  hope  that 


^TTNA.  229 

the  smoke  might  abate.  As  I  found,  on  waking,  there  was  no 
symptom^of  such  a  happy  consummation,  and  no  chance  of 
our  being  able  to  see  any  thing  of  the  sunrise  from  the  highest 
point,  I  determined  to  commence  the  descent,  but  advanced 
first  to  the  edge  of  the  crater  to  gain,  if  possible,  some  idea 
of  its  form.  Alas !  I  could  see  only  a  few  feet  of  jagged 
precipice  immediately  beneath  me,  and  beyond,  nothing  but 
thick  darkness. 

It  was  clear  JEtna  was  not  in  a  good  humor  this  morning, 
so  turning  my  back  upon  his  sulky  grandeur,  I  was  soon  slid- 
ing rapidly  through  the  ashes,  and  as  we  emerged  from  the 
smoke,  I  saw  in  the  dim  twilight  of  the  early  dawn  the  rest 
of  the  party  close  beneath  me,  on  the  plateau  of  the  Casa  degli 
Inglesi,  evidently  engaged  in  some  very  interesting  occupation. 
A  minute  more,  and  I  was  in  the  midst  of  them  ;  they  were 
drinking  ;  it  was  a  thirsty  moment. 

Shortly  after  this  the  sun  arose,  and  here  ought  to  follow 
a  glowing  description  of  the  scenery  and  of  the  beautiful 
shadow  of  the  mountain  stretching  across  the  island ;  but,  as 
is  too  often  the  case  even  in  Italy,  the  horizon  was  so  clouded 
that  it  was  more  than  half  an  hour  after  the  actual  rising  of 
the  sun  before  we  saw  any  thing  of  his  orb,  and  even  then  in- 
stead of  shining  forth  as  the  glorious  Lord  of  Day,  he  pre- 
sented that  ridiculous  rayless  appearance  which  English- 
men fancy  he  exhibits  only  to  their  own  cheerful  island  in  the 
months  of  November  and  December. 

Altogether  it  was  a  failure ;  we  saw  indeed  the  distant 
Calabrian  coast,  and  caught  some  fine  glimpses  of  the  island 
itself,  but  there  was  no  color,  no  warmth. 

Bidding  my  companions  hon  voyage^  as  they  were  going  on 
to  the  top,  and  I  did  not  feel  inclined  to  accompany  them  for 
a  second  sufibcation,  I  set  off  to  visit  the  celebrated  Val  di 
Bove.  I  had  supposed  that  this  was  an  ancient  crater,  and 
my  guide  confirmed  me  in  this  view,  but  I  have  since  discov- 
ered that  geologists  are  of  an  opposite  opinion,  and  that  it  is 


'230  EUJROPE. 

in  reality  a  huge  rent  in  the  mountain,  the  result  of  some  tre- 
mendous earthquake,  coincident  probably  with  an  eruption,  at 
a  very  remote  period.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  by  far  the  most 
striking  sight  of  JEtna.  It  is  a  vast  oval  arena,  nearly  five 
miles  in  its  longest  diameter,  the  walls  of  which,  almost  verti- 
cal, and  in  parts  between  2,000  and  3,000  feet  deep,  are  of  the 
deepest  black,  and  split  into  the  most  fantastic  shapes,  while 
the  floor,  as  it  were,  is  covered  with  snow  of  dazzling  brightr 
ness,  out  of  which  rise,  here  and  there,  monstrous  obelisks 
of  rock. 

Having  gazed  my  fill,  I  now  commenced  a  rapid  descent. 
There  was  nothing  like  a  glissade,  but  the  snow  was  just  steep 
enough  to  get  up  a  kind  of  skating  movement,  and  by  throw- 
ing out  the  feet  quickly,  a  very  good  pace  was  possible.  My 
guide  seemed  perfectly  amazed  when  he  saw  me  shooting  away 
in  this  style,  and  leaving  him  far  behind ;  but  I  went  on  my 
way  rejoicing,  and  after  more  than  once  mistaking  some  black 
lumps  of  lava  for  the  mules,  I  at  last  caught  sight  of  them 
kicking,  and  devouring  one  another's  tails,  as  is  their  wont. 
Jack-a-Lantern  was  in  charge  of  ihem,  and  immediately  on 
my  joining  him  he  began  to  reproach  me  for  not  persevering, 
nor  do  I  think  he  was  thoroughly  convinced  that  I  had  reached 
the  summit,  till  my  panting  companion  arrived,  and  assured 
him  that  it  was  true,  but  that  he  had  never  seen  such  a  signor 
before.  I  remarked  that  I  was  accustomed  to  mountains. 
"  Credo  cosi,"  was  the  exclamation  of  both. 

I  now  made  a  hearty  breakfast,  washing  down  some  tough 
beef  and  a  whole  pigeon  (and  Italian  pigeons  are  worth  eating, 
very  different  from  the  bits  of  things  one  gets  in  England)  by 
another  copious  draught  of  vino  del  paese.  With  some  kicking 
and  no  little  bawling  the  mules  were  saddled,  and  a  pleasant 
ride  in  the  still  early  morning  brought  us  to  Nicolosi  at  7.50, 
to  the  utter  surprise  of  the  natives,  who  did  not  expect  us 
before  mid-day. 

Poor  old  Giuseppe  looked  bitterly  disappointed,  as  he  had 


MINA.  231 

hoped  to  squeeze  out  another  day  at  Nicolosi.  Still  I  think 
his  disgust  gave  way  to  astonishment,  nay,  perhaps  almost  to 
admiration,  when  I  told  him  to  get  things  in  readiness,  as  I 
should  start  in  half  an  hour.  "Will  not  the  signor  sleep?** 
"No."  "  Is  not  the  signor  ready  for  a  Collazione?"  "He 
has  had  one  already."  And  so  before  nine,  spite  of  Giuseppe's 
difficulties,  I  had  taken  an  affectionate  farewell  of  the  dear  old 
doctor,  and  was  again  in  the  saddle  en  route  for  Giardini. 

The  whole  affair  occupied  less  than  twelve  hours.  Prac- 
tised mountaineers  might  walk  all  the  way,  or  take  mules  as 
far  as  possible,  and  then  getting  general  directions  from  their 
guide,  and  leaving  him  whenever  they  saw  fit,  would  manage 
the  whole  distance  from  Nicolosi  and  back  in  nine  hours,  with 
perfect  ease.  They  might  perhaps  have  some  difficulty  in 
finding  the  best  point  for  looking  down  into  the  Val  di  Bove 
without  him,  but  if  they  feared  this  they  could  instruct  him  to 
follow  them  to  the  Casa  degli  Inglesi,  and  wait  for  them  on 
their  descent ;  though  I  believe  that  most  mountaineers  would 
find  it  out  for  themselves,  if  they  remembered  when  descending 
to  bear  away  considerably  to  the  left  after  leaving  the  shed. 
It  is  an  interesting  ascent  even  with  such  weather  as  we  had, 
and  with  a  clear  sky  it  would  be  a  glorious  excursion. 


ASIA. 


THE  AMERICANS  IN  JAPAN. 

[The  story  of  Commodore  Perry's  reception  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Japanese  emperor,  is  thus  told  in  his  "  Expe- 
dition."] 

The  apartment  into  which  the  commodore  and  his  officers 
first  entered  was  a  large  hall,  arranged  in  a  manner  similar  to 
that  at  Gori-hama.  Thick  lice-straw  mats  carpeted  the  floor, 
long  and  wide  settees,  covered  with  a  red  cloth,  extended  along 
the  sides,  with  tables  spread  with  the  same  material  arranged 
in  front  of  them.  The  windows  were  composed  of  panes  of 
oiled  paper,  through  which  a  subdued  and  mellow  light  illu- 
minated the  hall,  while  a  comfortable  temperature  was  kept  up 
(for,  although  the  spring,  which  is  early  in  Japan,  had  already 
opened,  the  weather  was  chilly)  by  copper  braziers  of  burning 
charcoal,  which,  supported  upon  lacquered  wooden  stands, 
were  freely  distributed  about.  Hangings  feU  from  the  walls 
around,  with  paintings  of  trees,  and  representations  of  various 
animals  and  birds,  particularly  of  the  crane,  with  its  long  neck 
in  every  variety  of  strange  involution. 

The  commodore  and  his  officers  and  interpreters  had  hardly 
taken  their  seats  on  the  left,  the  place  of  honor;  and  the  various 
Japanese  officials,  of  whom  there  was  a  goodly  number,  theirs 
on  the  right,  when  the  five  commissioners  entered  from  an 


234 


ASIA. 


apartment  which  opened  through  an  entrance  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  hall.  As  soon  as  they  presented  themselves  the  sub- 
ordinate Japanese  officials  prostrated  themselves  on  their 
knees,  and  remained  in  that  attitude  during  their  presence. 

The  commissioners  were  certainly  august-looking  person- 
ages, and  their  grave  but  courteous  manners,  and  their  rich  flow- 
ing robes  of  silk,  set  them  off  to  the  highest  advantage.  Their 
costume  consisted  of  an  under  garment  somewhat  similar  to 
the  antique  doublet,  and  a  pair  of  very  wide  and  short  trow- 
sers  of  figured  silk,  while  below,  the  legs  were  encased  in 
white  cotton  or  woollen  socks,  laced  to  some  distance  above 


YOKU-IIAMA,    BAY    OF   YEDO. 


the  ankles.  The  socks  were  so  contrived  that  the  great  toe 
was  separated  from  the  other  four,  for  the  passage  of  the  band 
which  attached  to  the  sandal,  and  joined  another  from  the  heel 
at  the  ankle,  where  the  two  were  tied  together.  Over  the 
doublet  and  trowsers  a  loose  gown  of  embroidered  silk,  some- 
thing in  the  shape  of  the  clerical  robe,  with  loose  sleeves,  was 
worn.  This  was  secured  to  the  waist  by  a  sash,  in  which  are 
usually  thrust  the  two  swords  which  mark  the  dignitaries  of 
higher  rank.  The  three  princes  alone,  of  all  the  commission- 
ers, were  observed  to  wear  a  white  inner  shirt,  or  vest,  which 


THE   AMEKICANS   IN   JAPAN.  235 

was  exposed  at  the  breast.  This  was  a  mark  of  the  very 
highest  rank,  and  belongs  exclusively  to  princes  and  the 
loftiest  dignitaries  of  the  empire. 

Hayashi  Daigaku-no-kami,  prince  councillor,  was  evidently 
the  chief  member  of  the  commission,  for  all  matters  of  im- 
portance were  referred  to  him.  He  was  a  man  of  about  fifty- 
five  years  of  age,  was  handsomely  formed,  and  had  a  grave 
and  rather  saturnine  expression  of  face,  though  he  had  a  be- 
nevolent look  and  exceedingly  courtly  manners.  Ido,  Prince  of 
Tsusima,  was  probably  fifty,  or  thereabout,  and  was  corpulent 
and  tall  in  person.  He  had  a  rather  more  vivacious  expression 
than  the  elder  Hayashi.  The  third  and  youngest  of  the  princes 
was  the  Prince  of  Mima-saki,  who  could  hardly  be  much  be- 
yond forty  years  of  age,  and  was  by  far  the  best  looking  of  the 
three.  He  was  quite  gay,  fond  of  fun  and  frolic,  and  had  the 
reputation  of  being  a  Lothario.  According  to  the  interpreters, 
Mima-saki  entertained  more  liberal  views  with  respect  to  for- 
eign intercourse  than  any  of  his  coadjutors,  and  seemed  to  be 
a  great  favorite  with  the  Japanese,  as  he  certainly  was  with 
all  the  Americans.  His  gaiety  of  heart  manifested  itself  very 
apparently  in  his  fondness  for  the  music  of  the  bands  of  the 
squadron,  and  he  could  not  keep  his  hands  and  feet  quiet  when- 
ever they  struck  up  a  lively  air. 

Udono,  who,  though  not  a  prince,  was  a  man  of  high 
station,  and  was  known  by  the  title  of  Mimbu-shiyoyu,  or 
member  of  the  board  of  revenue,  was  a  tall,  passable  looking 
man,  but  his  features  were  prominent  and  had  much  of  the 
Mongolian  caste.  The  fifth  and  last  one  of  the  five  commis- 
sioners was  Matsusaki  Michitaro,  whose  rank  and  title  were 
not  discovered.  His  precise  business  in  the  commission  it 
was  difficult  to  fathom ;  he  was  always  present  at  the  con- 
ference, but  took  his  seat  constantly  at  rather  a  remote  dis- 
tance from  the  other  dignitaries,  on  the  further  end  of  the 
sedan.  By  him  there  was  continually  crouched,  upon  his 
knees,  a  scribe,  who  was  constantly  employed  in  taking  notes 


236  ASIA. 

of  what  was  passing,  and  occasionally  under  the  promptings 
of  his  superior.  Matsusaki  was  rather  an  equivocal  char- 
acter, difficult  to  understand.  He  had  not  originally  been 
mentioned  as  a  member  of  the  commission,  and  his  accession 
to  the  diplomatic  force  seemed  to  have  been  a  second  thought, 
since  the  presence  of  a  fifth  commissioner  was  not  alluded  to 
until  a  day  or  two  previous  to  the  conference.  He  was  a  man 
of  sixty  years  of  age  at  least,  had  a  long,  drawn-out  meagre 


YEDO   AND  SIMODA   DOGS  PRESENTED  TO   COMMODORE   M.    C.   PERRY. 

body,  a  very  yellow  bilious  face,  an  uncomfortable  dyspeptic 
expression,  which  his  excessive  short-sightedness  did  not  im- 
prove, for  it  caused  him,  in  his  efforts  at  seeing,  to  give  a  very 
wry  distortion  to  a  countenance  naturally  not  very  handsome. 
Moryama  Yenoske  was  the  principal  interpreter  who 
officiated  on  the  occasion  ;  the  same  man  who  figured  so  con- 
spicuously during  the  visit  of  Captain  Glynn  in  the  Preble. 
As  soon  as  the  commissioners  had  taken  their  seats,  Yenoske 


THE  AMEEICANS   IN  JAPAN.  237 

took  his  position  on  his  knees,  at  the  feet  of  Hayashi,  the 
chief,  and  humbly  awaited  his  orders.  The  Japanese  are 
never  forgetful  of  the  respect  which  they  think  due  to  rank, 
and  graduate  their  obeisance  according  to  its  degrees.  From 
the  emperor  to  the  lowest  subject  in  the  realm  there  is  a  con- 
stant succession  of  prostrations.  The  former,  in  want  of  a 
human  being  superior  to  himself  in  rank,  bows  humbly  to 
some  pagan  idol,  and  every  one  of  his  subjects,  from  prince  to 
peasant,  has  some  person  before  whom  he  is  bound  to  cringe 
and  crouch  in  the  dirt.  One  is  reminded,  as  he  looks  upon  a 
universal  nation  on  their  knees,  "  in  suppliance  bent,"  of  a 
favorite  amusement  of  childhood,  where  a  number  of  blocks 
are  placed  on  end  in  a  row,  one  shoves  the  other,  and  the  first 
being  knocked  down,  topples  over  the  second,  and  so  on  in 
succession  until  all  are  tumbled  upon  the  ground.  The  crouch- 
ing position  in  which  an  inferior  places  himself,  when  in  the 
presence  of  his  superior  in  rank,  seems  very  easy  to  a  Japan- 
ese, but  would  be  very  difficult  and  painful  for  one  to  assume 
who  had  not  been  accustomed  to  it.  The  ordinary  mode  pur- 
sued is  to  drop  on  the  knees,  cross  the  feet,  and  turn  up  the 
heels,  with  the  toes,  instep,  and  calves  of  the  legs  brought  to- 
gether into  close  contact. 

Sometimes  it  is  mere  squatting  down  with  the  soles  firm 
upon  the  ground,  the  knees  bent,  and  the  body  crouched  low. 
Yenoske  was  quite  an  adept  in  these  manceuvres,  as  were  his 
coadjutors,  and  especially  the  prefect,  Kura-kawa-kahei,  who 
was  one  of  the  subordinate  functionaries  present  during  the 
conference.  They  all  showed  a  w^onderful  elasticity  of  muscle 
and  suppleness  of  joint,  which  could  only  have  been  acquired 
by  long  practice,  and  reminded  one  of  those  skilful  contortion- 
ists or  clowns,  who  exhibit  their  caoutchouc  accomplishments 
to  the  wonderment  of  the  spectators.  These  worthies,  humble 
as  they  were  in  the  august  presence  of  the  commissioners,  had 
their  worshippers  in  turn,  who  were  more  humble  still,  and 
who  outdid  them,  even,  in  their  bowings  and  prostrations. 


238  ASIA. 

Every  Japanese  is  thus  by  turns  master  and  slave,  now  sub- 
missively with  his  neck  beneath  the  foot  of  one,  and  again 
haughtily  with  his  foot  upon  the  neck  of  another.  The  com- 
missioners, after  a  momentary  silence,  spoke  a  word  to  the 
prostrate  Yenoske,  who  listened  an  instant,  with  downcast 
eyes,  and  then  by  a  skilful  manoeuvre,  still  upon  his  knees, 
moved  toward  the  commissioners'  interpreter,  and  having  com- 
municated his  message,  which  proved  to  be  merely  the  ordi- 
nary compliments,  with  an  inquiry  after  the  health  of  the  com- 
modore and  his  officers,  returned  with  an  appropriate  answer 
to  his  former  position.  An  interchange  of  various  polite  mes- 
sages having  been  thus  borne  backward  and  forward  for  sev- 
eral minutes,  through  the  medium  of  the  humble  but  useful 
Yenoske,  refreshments,  consisting  of  the  invariable  pipe,  tea 
in  porcelain  cups,  served  on  lacquered  trays,  cakes,  and  some 
confectionery  were  handed  round. 

It  was  now  proposed  by  the  commissioners  that  an  adjourn- 
ment should  take  place  to  another  room,  which  they  stated 
would  accommodate  comfortably  about  ten  persons.  Accord- 
ingly, the  commodore  having  assented,  he,  accompanied  by 
the  captain  of  the  fleet,  his  two  interpreters  and  secretary,  was 
conducted  into  another  and  much  smaller  room,  the  entrance 
to  which  was  only  separated  from  the  principal  hall  by  a  blue 
silk  flag,  ornamented  in  the  centre  with  the  embroidered  arms 
of  Japan.  On  entering,  the  commissioners  were  found  already 
seated  on  the  right,  they  having  withdrawn  previously  to  the 
commodore,  and  arranged  themselves  in  rank  upon  one  of 
the  red  divans,  which  extended  along  the  sides  of  the  apart- 
ment. 

The  commodore  and  his  party  took  their  seats  on  the  left, 
and  business  commenced,  the  commissioners  having  prelimi- 
narily stated  that  it  was  a  Japanese  custom  to  speak  slowly. 
They  were  evidently  very  anxious  to  proceed  with  deliberation, 
and  weigh  every  word  with  the  exactness  of  cautious  diplo- 
matists. 


THE  AMEEICANS   IN  JAPAN. 


239 


[Here  follow  in  the  narrative  the  official  documents  on 
both  sides,  which  are  too  long  to  quote.] 

******* 

The  Japanese  always  evinced  an  inordinate  curiosity,  for 
the  gratification  of  which  the  various  articles  of  strange  fabric, 
and  the  pieces  of  mechanism,  of  ingenious  and  novel  inven- 
tion, brought  from  the  United  States,  gave  them  a  full  oppor- 
tunity.   They  were  not  satisfied  with  the  minutest  examination 


CAMIDA   CREEK,    BAY  OP  HAKODADI. 


of  all  things,  so  surprisingly  wonderful  as  they  appeared  to 
them,  but  followed  the  officers  and  men  about  and  seized  upon 
every  occasion  to  examine  each  part  of  their  dress.  The 
laced  caps,  boots,  swords,  and  tailed  coats  of  the  officers ;  the 
tarpaulins,  jackets,  and  trowsers  of  the  men,  all  came  in  for 
the  closest  scrutiny ;  and  a  tailor  in  search  of  a  new  cut  or  a 
latest  fashion,  could  not  have  been  more  exacting  in  his  obser- 
vations than  the  inquisitive  Japanese,  as  he  fingered  the  broad- 


^P' 


240  ASIA. 

cloth,  smoothed  down  the  nap  with  his  long  delicate  hands, 
.pulled  a  lappel  here,  adjusted  a  collar  there,  now  fathomed  the 
depth  of  a  pocket,  and  again  peered  curiously  into  the  inner 
recesses  of  Jack's  loose  toilette.  They  eagerly  sought  to  pos- 
sess themselves  of  any  thing  that  pertained  to  the  dress  of 
their  visitors,  and  showed  a  peculiar  passion  for  buttons. 
i  They  would  again  and  again  ask  for  a  button,  and  when  pre- 
sented with  the  cheap  gift,  they  appeared  immediately  gratified, 
and  stowed  it  away  as  if  it  were  of  the  greatest  value.  It  is 
possible  that  their  affection  for  buttons  and  high  appreciation 
of  their  value,  may  be  owing  to  the  rarity  of  the  article  in 
Japan,  for  it  is  a  curious  fact,  that  the  simple  convenience  of  a 
button  is  but  little  used  in  any  article  of  Japanese  dress ; 
strings  and  various  bindings  being  the  only  mode  of  fastening 
the  garments.  When  visiting  the  ships,  the  mandarins  and 
their  attendants  were  never  at  rest ;  but  went  about  peering 
into  every  nook  and  corner,  peeping  into  the  muzzles  of  the 
guns,  examining  curiously  the  small-arms,  handling  the  ropes, 
measuring  the  boats,  looking  eagerly  into  the  engine-room,  and 
■\^'^atching  every  movement  of  the  engineers  and  workmen  as 
they  busily  moved,  in  and  about,  the  gigantic  machinery  of  the 
steamers.  They  were  not  contented  with  merely  observing 
with  their  eyes,  but  were  constantly  taking  out  theii*  writing 
materials,  their  mulberry-bark  paper,  and  their  India  ink  and 
hair  pencils,  which  they  always  carried  in  a  pocket  within  the 
left  breast  of  their  loose  robes,  and  making  notes  and  sketches. 
The  Japanese  had  all  apparently  a  strong  pictorial  taste,  and 
looked  with  great  delight  upon  the  engravings  and  pictures 
which  were  shown  them,  but  their  own  performances  appeared 
exceedingly  rude  and  inartistic.  Every  man,  however,  seemed 
anxious  to  try  his  skill  at  drawing,  and  they  were  constantly 
taking  the  portraits  of  the  Americans,  and  sketches  of  the  va- 
rious articles  that  appeared  curious  to  them,  with  a  result, 
which,  however  satisfactory  it  might  have  been  to  the  artists 
(and  it  must  be  conceded  they  exhibited  no  little  exultation) , 


THE  AMEEICANS   EST  JAPAN.  241 

was  far  from  showing  any  encouraging  advance  in  art.  It 
should,  however,  be  remarked,  that  the  artists  were  not  pro- 
fessional. The  Japanese  are,  undoubtedly,  like  the  Chinese,  a 
very  imitative,  adaptative,  and  compliant  people  ;  and  in  these 
characteristics  may  be  discovered  a  promise  of  the  compar- 
atively easy  introduction  of  foreign  customs  and  habits,  if  not 
of  the  nobler  principles  and  better  life  of  a  higher  civil- 
ization. 

Notwithstanding  the  Japanese  are  so  fond  of  indulging 
their  curiosity,  they  are  by  no  means  communicative  about 
themselves.  They  allege,  as  a  reason  for  their  provoking 
reserve,  that  their  laws  forbid  them  to  communicate  to  foreign- 
ers any  thing  relating  to  their  country  and  its  institutions, 
habits,  and  customs.  This  silence  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese 
was  a  serious  obstacle  to  acquiring  that  minute  information 
about  a  strange  people  of  whom  curiosity  is  naturally  on  the 
alert  to  know  every  thing.  Much  progress  wiU,  however, 
never  be  obtained  toward  a  thorough  knowledge  of  Japan, 
until  some  of  our  men  of  intelligence  are  established  in  the 
country  in  the  character  of  consular  agents,  merchants,  or  mis- 
sionaries, who  may  thus  be  enabled  to  acquire  the  language, 
and  mingle  in  intimate  social  relations  with  the  people. 

The  common  people  were  found  much  more  disposed  to 
fraternize  than  were  the  Japanese  officials.  It  seemed  evident 
that  nothing  but  a  fear  of  punishment  deterred  the  former  from 
entering  into  free  intercourse  with  the  Americans ;  but  they 
were  closely  watched  by  their  superiors,  as  in  fact  the  latter 
were  by  their  equals. 

In  Japan,  as  in  Lew  Chew,  probably,  a  closer  intimacy 
would  have  ensued,  during  the  visits  of  the  squadron,  with  all 
classes,  if  they  had  been  allowed  to  follow  their  own  natural 
inclinations,  and  had  not  been  so  jealously  guarded  by  the  nu- 
merous spies.  No  one,  even  of  the  highest  dignitaries,  is  in- 
trusted with  public  business  of  importance,  without  having 
one  or  more  associated  with  him,  who  is  ever  on  the  alert 
11 


ASIA. 

to  detect  and  take  note  of  the  slightest  suspicion  of  delin- 
quency. 

******* 

[At  a  subsequent  interview  between  the  Commodore  and 
the  Princes,  the  following  remarkable  scene  occurred :] 

The  attention  of  all  was  suddenly  riveted  upon  a  body  of 
monstrous  fellows,  who  tramped  down  the  beach  like  so  many 
huge  elephants.  They  were  professional  wrestlers,  and  formed 
part  of  the  retinue  of  the  princes,  who  kept  them  for  their 
private  amusement  and  for  public  entertainment.  They  were 
some  twenty-five  in  number,  and  were  men  enormously  tall  in 
stature,  and  immense  in  weight  of  flesh.     Their  scant  costume, 


JAPANESE  PILLOW. 


JAPANESE  WRITING   IMPLEMENTS. 


THE  AMEEICANS   IN  JAPAN.  24:3 

which  was  merely  a  colored  cloth  about  the  loins,  adorned 
with  fringes  and  emblazoned  with  the  armorial  bearings  of  the 
prince  to  whom  each  belonged,  revealed  their  gigantic  propor- 
tions in  all  the  bloated  fulness  of  fat  and  breadth  of  muscle. 
Their  proprietors,  the  princes,  seemed  proud  of  them,  and  were 
careful  to  show  their  points  to  the  greatest  advantage  before 
our  astonished  countrymen.  Some  two  or  three  of  these  huge 
monsters  were  the  most  famous  wrestlers  in  Japan,  and  ranked 
as  the  champion  Tom  Cribs  and  Hyers  of  the  land.  Koyanagi, 
the  reputed  bully  of  the  capital,  was  one  of  them,  and  paraded 
himself  with  the  conscious  pride  of  superior  immensity  and 
strength.  He  was  especially  brought  to  the  commodore,  that 
he  might  examine  his  massive  form.  The  commissioners  in- 
sisted that  the  monstrous  fellow  should  be  minutely  inspected, 
that  the  hardness  of  his  well-rounded  muscles  should  be  felt, 
and  that  the  fatness  of  his  cushioned  frame  should  be  tested 
by  the  touch.  The  commodore  accordingly  attempted  to  grasp 
his  immense  arm,  which  he  found  as  solid  as  it  was  huge,  and 
then  passed  his  hand  over  the  monstrous  neck,  which  fell  in 
folds  of  massive  flesh,  like  the  dewlap  of  a  prize  ox.  As  some 
surprise  was  naturally  expressed  at  this  wondrous  exhibition 
of  animal  development,  the  monster  himself  gave  a  grunt  ex- 
pressive of  his  flattered  vanity. 

They  were  all  so  immense  in  flesh  that  they  appeared  to 
have  lost  their  distinctive  features,  and  seemed  to  be  only 
twenty-five  masses  of  fat.  Their  eyes  were  barely  visible 
through  a  long  perspective  of  socket,  the  prominence  of  their 
noses  was  lost  in  the  puffiness  of  their  bloated  cheeks,  and 
theii'  heads  were  almost  set  directly  on  their  bodies,  with 
merely  folds  of  flesh  where  the  neck  and  chin  are  usually 
found.  Their  great  size,  however,  was  more  owing  to  the 
development  of  muscle  than  to  the  deposition  of  fat,  for,  al- 
though they  were  evidently  well  fed,  they  were  not  less  well 
exercised,  and  capable  of  great  feats  of  strength.  As  a  pre- 
liminary exhibition  of  the  power  of  these  men,  the  princes  set 


244      *  ASIA. 

them  to  removing  the  sacks  of  rice  to  a  convenient  place  on 
the  shore  for  shipping.  Each  of  the  sacks  weighed  not  less 
than  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds,  and  there  were  only 
a  couple  of  the  wrestlers  who  did  not  carry  each  two  sacks 
at  a  time.  They  bore  the  sacks  on  the  right  Shoulder,  lifting 
the  first  from  the  ground  and  adjusting  it  without  help,  but 
obtaining  aid  for  the  raising  of  the  second.  One  man  carried 
a  sack  suspended  by  his  teeth,  and  another,  taking  one  in  his 
arms,  turned  repeated  somersaults  as  he  held  it,  and  apparently 
with  as  much  ease  as  if  his  tons  of  flesh  had  been  only  so 
much  gossamer,  and  his  load  a  feather. 

After  this  preliminary  display,  the  commissioners  proposed 
that  the  commodore  and  his  party  should  retire  to  the  treaty 
house,  where  they  would  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
wrestlers  exhibit  their  professional  feats.  The  wrestlers  them- 
selves were  most  carefully  provided  for,  having  constantly 
about  them  a  number  of  attendants,  who  were  always  at  hand 
to  supply  them  with  fans,  which  they  often  required,  and  to 
assist  them  in  dressing  and  undressing.  While  at  rest  they 
were  ordinarily  clothed  in  richly-adorned  robes  of  the  usual 
Japanese  fashion,  but  when  exercising  they  were  stripped 
naked,  with  the  exception  of  the  cloth  about  the  loins.  After 
their  performance  with  the  sacks  of  rice,  their  servitors  spread 
upon  the  huge  frames  of  the  wrestlers  their  rich  garments,  and 
led  them  up  to  the  treaty  house. 

A  circular  space  of  some  twelve  feet  in  diameter  had  been 
enclosed  within  a  ring,  and  the  ground  carefully  broken  up 
and  smoothed  in  front  of  the  building,  while  in  the  portico, 
divans  covered  with  red  cloth,  were  arranged  for  the  Japanese 
commissioners,  the  commodore,  his  ofiicers,  and  their  various 
attendants.  The  bands  from  the  ships  were  also  present,  and 
enlivened  the  intervals  during  the  performance  with  occasional 
lively  strains.  As  soon  as  the  spectators  had  taken  their  seats, 
the  naked  wrestlers  were  brought  out  into  the  ring,  and  the 
whole  number,  being  divided  into  two  opposing  parties,  tramped 


THE  AMERICANS   IN  JAPAN. 


245 


heavily  backward  and  forward,  looking  defiance  at  each  other, 
but  not  engaging  in  any  contest,  as  their  object  was  merely  to 
parade  their  points,  to  give  the  beholders,  as  it  were,  an  oppor- 
tunity to  form  an  estimate  of  their  comparative  powers,  and  to 
make  up  their  betting-books.  They  soon  retired  behind  some 
screens  placed  for  the  purpose,  where  all,  with  the  exception 
of  two,  were  again  clothed  in  full  dress  and  took  their  position 
on  seats  in  front  of  the  spectators. 


JAPANESE  MUSICAL   INSTRUMENTS. 


The  two  who  had  been  reserved  out  of  the  band,  now,  on 
the  signal  being  given  by  the  heralds,  who  were  seated  on  op- 
posite sides,  presented  themselves.  They  came  in,  one  after 
the  other,  from  behind  the  screen,  and  walked  with  slow  and 
deliberate  steps,  as  became  such  huge  animals,  into  the  centre 
of  the  ring.  Then  they  ranged  themselves,  one  against  the 
other,  at  a  distance  of  a  few  yards.  They  crouched  for  a 
while,  eyeing  each  other  with  a  wary  look,  as  if  each  were 
watching  for  a  chance  to  catch  his  antagonist  off  his  guard. 
As  the  spectator  looked  on  these  over-fed  monsters,  whose  ani- 


MQ  ASIA. 

mal  natures  had  been  so  carefully  and  successfully  developed, 
and  as  he  watched  them,  glaring  with  brutal  ferocity  at  each 
other,  ready  to  exhibit  the  cruel  instincts  of  a  savage  nature, 
it  was  easy  for  him  to  lose  all  sense  of  their  being  human 
creatures,  and  to  persuade  himself  that  he  was  beholding  a 
couple  of  brute  beasts  thirsting  for  one  another's  blood.  They 
were,  in  fact,  like  a  pair  of  fierce  bulls,  whose  nature  they  had 
not  only  acquired,  but  even  their  look  and  movements.  As 
they  continued  to  eye  each  other  they  stamped  the  ground 
heavily,  pawing  as  it  were  with  impatience,  and  then  stooping 
their  huge  bodies,  they  grasped  handsful  of  dirt  and  flung  it 
with  an  angry  toss  over  their  backs,  or  rubbed  it  impatiently 
between  their  giant  palms,  or  under  their  stout  shoulders. 
They  now  crouched  low,  still  keeping  their  eyes  fixed  upon 
each  other  and  watching  every  movement,  imtil,  in  an  instant, 
they  had  both  simultaneously  heaved  their  massive  forms  in 
opposing  force,  body  to  body,  with  a  shock  that  might  have 
stunned  an  ox.  The  equilibrium  of  their  monstrous  frames 
was  hardly  disturbed  by  the  concussion,  the  effect  of  which 
was  but  barely  visible  in  the  quiver  of  the  hanging  flesh  of 
their  bodies.  As  they  came  together,  they  had  thrown  theii 
brawny  arms  around  each  other,  and  were  now  entwined  in  a 
desperate  struggle,  each  striving  with  all  his  enormous  strength 
to  throw  his  adversary.  Their  great  muscles  rose  with  the 
distinct  outline  of  the  sculptured  form  of  a  colossal  Hercules, 
their  bloated  countenances  swelled  up  with  gushes  of  blood 
which  seemed  ready  to  burst  through  the  skin  of  their  reddened 
faces,  and  their  huge  bodies  palpitated  with  emotion  as  the 
struggle  continued.  At  last,  one  of  the  antagonists  fell,  with 
his  immense  weight,  heavily  upon  the  ground,  and  being  de- 
clared vanquished,  was  assisted  to  his  feet  and  conducted  from 
the  ring. 

The  scene  was  now  somewhat  varied  by  a  change  in  the 
kind  of  contest  between  two  succeeding  wrestlers.  The 
heralds,  as  before,  summoned  the  antagonists,  and  one,  hav- 


THE  AMEEICANS  IN  JAPAN. 


247 


ing  taken  his  place  in  the  ring,  assumed  an  attitude  of  defence 
with  one  leg  in  advance,  as  if  to  steady  himself,  and  his  bent 
body,  with  his  head  lowered,  placed  in  position,  as  if  to  receive 
an  attack.  Immediately  after^n  rushed  the  other,  bellowing 
loudly  like  a  bull,  and,  making  at  once  for  the  man  in  the  ring, 
dashed,  with  his  head  lowered  and  thrust  forward,  against  the 
head  of  his  opponent,  who  bore  the  shock  with  the  steadiness 
of  a  rock,  although  the  blood  streamed  dovm  his  face  from  his 
bruised  forehead,  which  had  been  struck  in  the  encounter. 


JAPANESE  CABINET   WARE. 


This  manoeuvre  was  repeated  again  and  again,  the  same  one 
acting  always  as  the  opposing,  and  the  other  as  the  resisting, 
force ;  and  thus  they  kept  up  their  brutal  contest  until  their 
foreheads  were  besmeared  with  blood,  and  the  flesh  on  their 
chests  rose  in  great  swollen  tumors,  from  the  repeated  blows. 
This  disgusting  exhibition  did  not  terminate  until  the  whole 
twenty-five  had,  successively,  in  pairs,  displayed  their  immense 
powers  and  savage  qualities. 

From  the  brutal  performance  of  these  wrestlers,  the  Amer- 
icans turned  with  pride  to  the  exhibition — to  which  the  Japan- 


248  ASIA. 

ese  commissioners  were  now  in  their  turn  invited-r-of  the  tele- 
graph and  the  raikoad.  It  was  a  happy  contrast,  which  a 
higher  civilization  presented,  to  the  disgusting  display  on  the 
part  of  the  Japanese  officials!*  In  place  of  a  show  of  brute 
animal  force,  there  was  a  triumphant  revelation,  to  a  partially 
enlightened  people,  of  the  success  of  science  and  enterprise. 
The  Japanese  took  great  delight  in  again  seeing  the  rapid 
movement  of  the  Lilliputian  locomotive  ;  and  one  of  the  scribes 
of  the  commissioners  took  his  seat  upon  the  car,  while  the  en- 
gineer stood  upon  the  tender,  feeding  the  furnace  with  one 
hand,  and  directing  the  diminutive  engine  with  the  other. 
Crowds  of  the  Japanese  gathered  around,  and  looked  on  the 
repeated  circlings  of  the  train  with  unabated  pleasure  and  sur- 
prise, unable  to  repress  a  shout  of  delight  at  each  blast  of  the 
steam  whistle.  The  telegraph,  with  its  wonders,  though 
before  witnessed,  still  created  renewed  interest,  and  all  the  be- 
holders were  unceasing  in  their  expressions  of  curiosity  and 
astonishment.  The  agricultural  instruments  having  been  ex- 
plained to  the  commissioners  by  Dr.  Morrow,  a  formal  delivery 
of  the  telegraph,  the  railway,  and  other  articles,  which  made 
up  the  list  of  American  presents,  ensued.  The  Prince  of 
Mimasaki  had  been  delegated  by  his  coadjutors  ceremoniously 
to  accept,  and  Captain  Adams  appointed  by  the  commodore  to 
deliver,  the  gifts ;  and  each  performed  his  separate  functions 
by  an  interchange  of  suitable  compliments  and  some  half 
dozen  stately  bows.  After  this,  a  detachment  of  .marines 
from  the  squadron  were  put  through  their  various  evolutions, 
drills,  &c.,  while  the  bands  furnished  martial  music.  The 
Japanese  commissioners  seemed  to  take  a  very  great  interest 
in  this  military  display,  and  expressed  themselves  much  gi'ati- 
fied  at  the  soldierly  air  and  excellent  discipline  of  the  men. 
This  closed  the  performances  of  th^  day ;  and,  the  commis- 
sioners having  accepted  aa  invitation  from  the  commodore  to 
dine  with  him  on  the  twenty-seventh,  the  Japanese  retired  to 
the  treaty-house,  and  the  Americans  returned  to  the  ships. 


THE   AMEEICANS   IN   JAPAN. 


24:9 


The  Japanese  presents  were  all  boxed  up  and  sent,  together 
with  the  rice  and  charcoal,  on  board  the  storeship  Supply, 
when,  after  being  duly  addressed  to  the  proper  department  of 
the  Government,  they  were  stored  away  for  future  shipment. 
******* 

[It  wiU  be  seen  by  the  following  narrative  that  the  com- 
modore could  play  the  host  as  gracefully  as  the  guest.] 

The  commodore  was  determined  to  give  the  Japanese  a 
favorable  impression  of  American  hospitality,  and  had  accord- 


JAPANESE   CLOCK. 


WORN  BY   JAPANESE. 


ingly  spared  no  pains  in  providing  most  bountifully  for  the 
large  party  expected,  which  was  understood  to  comprise  no 
less  than  seventy,  exclusive  of  the  boatmen  and  menials.  As 
it  was"  known  that  the  strictness  of  Japanese  etiquette  would 
11* 


250  ASIA. 

not  allow  the  high  commissioners  to  sit  at  the  same  table  with 
their  subordinates,  the  commodore  ordered  two  banquets,  one 
to  be  spread  in  his  cabin  for  the  chief  dignitaries,  and  another 
on  the  quarter-deck.  The  commodore  had  long  before  made 
up  his  mind  to  give  this  entertainment  as  soon  as  the  negoti- 
ations with  the  Japanese  took  a  turn  sufficiently  favorable  to 
justify  some  degree  of  convivial  rejoicing.  He  had  accord- 
ingly reserved  for  it  live  bullocks,  some  sheep,  and  a  supply 
of  game  and  poultry.  The  ordinary  cabin  stores  of  preserved 
meats,  fish,  vegetables,  fruits,  and  a  choice  supply  of  the  best 
wines,  furnished  every  requisite  for  the  preparation  of  a  gen- 
erous feast.  These  abundant  materials,  under  the  cunning 
hands  of  the  commodore's  chef  de  cuisine^  assumed  nearly 
every  variety  of  dish  attractive  to  the  eye  and  appetizing  to 
the  taste. 

Previous  to  coming  on  board  the  Powhatan,  the  commis- 
sioners visited  the  sloop-of-war  Macedonian,  being  saluted  as 
they  stepped  on  her  deck  by  seventeen  guns  from  the  Missis- 
sippi, lying  near.  The  great  guns  and  boarders  having  been 
exercised  for  their  entertainment,  the  commissioners,  with 
their  numerous  attendants,  left  for  the  Powhatan,  the  Mace- 
donian firing  a  salvo  in  their  honor,  as  they  took  their  depart- 
ure. On  arriving  on  board  the  flag-ship,  they  were  first  con- 
ducted through  the  different  departments  of  the  steamer,  and 
examined  with  minute  interest  the  guns  and  the  machinery. 
A  boat  was  lowered,  with  a  howitzer  in  its  bows,  and  this  was 
repeatedly  discharged,  much  to  their  amusement ;  for,  although 
not  a  very  warlike  people  (at  least  in  their  modern  history) , 
the  Japanese  evidently  had  a  great  fondness  for  martial  exer- 
cise and  display.  The  engines  were  next  put  in  motion,  and 
they  evinced  the  usual  intelligence  of  the  higher  class  of  Jap- 
anese in  their  inquiries  and  remarks.  After  satisfying  their 
curiosity,  dinner  was  announced,  and  the  five  commissioners 
were  conducted  to  the  commodore's  cabin,  where  a  very  hand- 
some banquet  awaited  them.  The  subordinate  officials,  amount- 


THE  AMERICANS   EST  JAPAN".  251 

ing  to  about  sixty,  were  provided  for  under  the  awning  on  the 
quarter-deck,  where  a  large  table  had  been  spread  with  an 
abundant  supply. 

The  commodore  had  invited  the  four  captains  of  the  squad- 
ron, his  interpreter,  Mr.  Williams,  and  his  secretary,  to  join 
the  commissioners  at  his  table.  Yenoske,  the  Japanese  inter- 
preter, was  allowed  the  privilege,  as  a  special  condescension 
on  the  part  of  his  superiors,  to  sit  at  a  side-table  in  the  cabin, 
where  his  humble  position  did  not  seem  to  disturb  either  his 
equanimity  or  his  appetite.  Hayashi,  who  always  preserved 
his  grave  and  digniiBed  bearing,  ate  and  drank  sparingly,  but 
tasted  of  every  dish  and  sipped  of  every  kind  of  wine.  The 
others  proved  themselves  famous  trencher  men,  and  entered 
more  heartily  than  their  chief  into  the  conviviality  of  the  occa- 
sion. Matsusaki  was  the  soul  of  the  party,  and  showed  at 
once  a  very  decided  appreciation  of  American  fare,  and  a  spe- 
cial fondness  for  the  champagne,  with  no  marked  aversion, 
however,  to  the  other  wines  and  beverages.  The  liquors,  par- 
ticularly the  maraschino,  seemed  to  suit  the  tastes  of  the  Jap- 
anese exactly,  and  they  drank  unnumbered  glasses  of  it. 
Matsusaki,  who  was  a  jovial  fellow,  soon  showed  the  effects 
of  his  copious  libations,  and  became  very  particularly  happy. 
Hayashi,  the  grave  prince,  was  the  only  one,  in  fact,  whose 
sobriety  was  proof  against  the  unrestrained  conviviality  which 
prevailed  among  his  bacchanalian  coadjutors. 

The  Japanese  party  upon  deck,  who  were  entertained  by  a 
large  body  of  officers  from  the  various  ships,  became  quite  up- 
roarioufi  under  the  influence  of  overflowing  supplies  of  cham- 
pagne, Madeira,  and  punch,  which  they  seemed  greatly  to 
relish.  The  Japanese  took  the  lead  in  proposing  healths  and 
toasts,  and  were  by  no  means  the  most  backward  in  drinking 
them.  They  kept  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  were 
heard  far  above  the  music  of  the  bands  that  enlivened  the  en- 
tertainment by  a  succession  of  brisk  and  cheerful  tunes.  It 
was,  in  short,  a  scene  of  noisy  conviviality,  and  of  very  evi- 


252 


ASIA. 


dent  enjoyment  on  the  part  of  the  guests.  The  eating  was  no 
less  palatable  to  them  than  the  drinking,  and  the  rapid  disap- 
pearance of  the  large  quantity  and  variety  of  the  viands  pro- 
fusely heaped  upon  the  table  was  quite  a  marvel,  even  to  the 
heartiest  feeders  among  the  Americans.  In  the  eagerness  of 
the  Japanese  appetite,  there  was  but  little  discrimination  in 
the  choice  of  dishes  and  in  the  order  of  courses,  and  the  most 
startling  heterodoxy  was  exhibited  in  the  confused  comming- 
ling of  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl,  soups  and  syrups,  fruits  and  fricas- 


BAT  OP  YEDO. 


sees,  roast  and  boiled,  pickles  and  preserves.  As  a  most  gen- 
erous supply  had  been  provided,  there  were  still  some  remnants 
of  the  feast  left,  after  the  guests  had  satisfied  their  voracity, 
and  most  of  these,  the  Japanese,  in  accordance  witli  their 
usual  custom,  stowed  away  about  their  persons  to  carry  off 
with  them.  The  Japanese  always  have  an  abundant  supply  of 
paper  within  the  left  bosom  of  their  loose  robes  in  a  capacious 
pocket.  This  is  used  for  various  purposes ;  one  sjpecies,  as 
soft  as  our  cotton  cloth,  and  withal  exceedingly  tough,  is  used 
for  a  pocket  handkerchief;  another  furnishes  the  material  for 


THE  AMERICANS   IN  JAPAN.  253 

taking  notes,  or  for  wrapping  up  what  is  left  after  a  feast.  On 
the  present  occasion,  when  the  dinner  was  over,  all  the  Japan- 
ese guests  simultaneously  spread  out  their  long  folds  of  paper, 
and  gathering  what  scraps  they  could  lay  their  hands  on,  with- 
out regard  to  the  kind  of  food,  made  up  an  envelope  of  con- 
glomerate eatables,  in  which  there  was  such  a  confusion  of  the 
sour  and  sweet,  the  albuminous,  oleaginous,  and  saccharine, 
that  the  chemistry  of  Liebig,  or  the  practised  taste  of  the  com- 
modore's Parisian  cook,  would  never  have  reached  a  satis- 
factory analysis.  Nor  was  this  the  result  of  gluttony,  or  a 
deficiency  of  breeding ;  it  was  the  fashion  of  the  country. 
These  unsavory  parcels  they  stowed  away  in  their  pockets,  or 
in  their  capacious  sleeves,  to  carry  away  with  them.  The 
practice  was  universal,  and  they  not  only  always  followed  it 
themselves,  but  insisted  that  their  American  guests,  when  en- 
tertained at  a  Japanese  feast,  should  adopt  it  also.  Whenever 
the  commodore  and  his  officers  were  feasted  on  shore,  they 
had  paper  parcels  of  what  was  left  thrust  into  their  hands  on 
leaving,  which  they  were  obliged  to  take  away  with  them,  as 
it  seemed  an  important  part  of  Japanese  hospitality,  which 
could  not  be  declined  without  giving  offence. 

After  the  banquet,  the  Japanese  were  entertained  by  an 
exhibition  of  negro  minstrelsy,  got  up  by  some  of  the  sailors, 
who,  blacking  their  faces  and  dressing  themselves  in  character, 
enacted  their  parts  with  a  humor  that  would  have  gained  them 
unbounded  applause  from  a  New  York  audience  even  at  Chris- 
ty's. The  gravity  of  the  saturnine  Hayashi  was  not  proof 
against  the  grotesque  exhibition,  and  even  he  joined  with  the 
rest  in  the  general  hilarity  provoked  by  the  farcical  antics  and 
humorous  performances  of  the  mock  negroes.  It  was  now 
sunset,  and  the  Japanese  prepared  to  depart  with  quite  as 
much  wine  in  them  as  they  could  well  bear.  The  jovial 
Matsusaki  threw  his  arms  about  the  commodore's  neck, 
crushing,  in  his  tipsy  embrace,  a  pair  of  new  epaulettes,  and 
repeating,  in  Japanese,  with  maudlin  afiection,  these  words. 


254  ASIA. 

as  interpreted  into  English :  "  Nippon  and  America,  all  the 
same  heart."  He  then  went  toddling  into  tis  boat,  supported 
by  some  of  his  more  steady  companions,  and  soon  all  the 
happy  party  had  left  the  ships  and  were  making  rapidly  for 
the  shore.  The  Saratoga  fired  the  salute  of  seventeen  guns 
as  the  last  boat  pulled  off  from  the  Powhatan,  and  the  squad- 
ron was  once  more  left  in  the  usual-  quiet  of  ordinary  ship's 
duty. 


LEW   CHEW. 

The  group  of  Islands  known  as  the  Lieou  Kieou,  or  Lew 
Chew,  is  said  to  be  in  number  thirty-six,  at  considerable  dis- 
tances from  each  other,  and  lying  between  the  islands  of 
Kioosioo  and  Formosa  ;  they  are  betvfeen  24°  10'  and  28°  40' 
north  latitude,  and  127°  and  129°  east  longitude  from  Green- 
wich. 

It  is  a  question  yet  discussed  to  what  power  Lew  Chew 
belongs.  •  By  some  it  is  said  to  be  a  dependency  of  the  Prince 
of  Satzuma,  of  Japan  ;  others  suppose  it  to  belong  to  China. 
The  probabilities,  however,  are  all  on  the  side  of  the  depend- 
ence, more  or  less  absolute,  of  Lew  Chew  on  Japan,  and 
probably,  also,  of  some  qualified  subordination  to  China,  as 
they  undoubtedly  send  tribute  to  that  country.  Language, 
customs,  laws,  dress,  virtues,  vices,  and  commercial  inter- 
course, all  are  corroborative  of  such  an  opinion. 

[The  following  entertaining  account  of  Commodore  Perry's 
interview  with  the  regent  of  Lew  Chew,  we  copy  from  the 
"  Expedition."] 

The  hour  of  departure  had  been  fixed  at  nine  o'clock. 
Presently  the  signal  was  made  from  the  flag-ship,  and  all  the 
boats  of  the  other  ships  pushed  off  at  the  same  time,  and  as 
they  pulled  to  the  land  presented  a  very  lively  appearance. 


LEW   CHEW.  255 

The  point  selected  for  landing  was  the  little  village  of  Tumai, 
about  two  miles  from  the  palace  of  Shui.  After  all  the  other 
boats  had  gone,  the  commodore  set  out  in  his  barge,  and  on 
his  arrival  the  marines  were  found,  under  arms,  and  in  line, 
undei*  a  grove  of  trees  by  the  road-side,  near  the  landing. 
Groups  of  officers  in  uniform  were  gathered  in  little  knots 
under  the  shade  of  the  trees  ;  the  boat's  crews  rested  on  their 
oars,  looking  with  interest  on  the  proceedings,  while  the  na- 
tives to  the  number  of  hundreds  (many  of  them  of  the  better 
class)  stood  around,  evidently  not  a  little  moved  and  excited 
by  the  scene  before  them. 


THE  LEW   CHEW  ISLANDS. 


The  commodore,  with  the  captain  of  the  fleet  and  Com- 
manders Buchanan,  Lee,  and  Walker,  then  passed  down  the 
line  of  the  marines  and  artillerymen,  when  the  procession  was 
immediately  formed.  First  came  two  field-pieces,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Bent,  each  having  above  it  the  Ameri- 
can ensign,  and  immediately  preceded  by  the  master  of  the 
Susquehanna  (Mr.  Bennet),  with  Mr.  Williams  and  Dr.  Bct- 
tclheim,  the  interpreters.  Next  followed  the  band  of  the 
Mississippi  with  a  company  of  marines,  under  command  of 
Major  Zeilin.  The  commodore  followed  then  in  a  sedan 
chair,  which  had  been  manufactured  for  the  nonce,  by  the 
carpenter  on  board  the  ship.     It  was  emphatically  a  dignified 


256  ASIA. 

vehicle,  as  became  the  occasion,  large  and  stately,  deeply  in- 
debted to  paint  and  putty,  not  quite  as  polished  as  a  turnout 
from  Newark  or  Longacre,  but,  on  the  whole,  decidedly  a 
feature  in  the  procession,  though  its  hangings  of  red  and  blue 
were  not  of  the  finest.  At  all  events,  it  was  the  most  impos- 
ing sedan  the  Lew  Chewans  ever  saw.  It  was  borne  by  eight 
Chinese  coolies,  four  relieving  each  other  alternately.  On 
each  side  of  it  marched  a  marine  as  body  guard,  while  a  hand- 
some boy  had  been  selected  as  a  page,  who,  with  a  Chinese 
steward,  were  the  immediate  personal  attendants. 

Captain  Adams,  Lieutenant  Contee,  and  Mr.  Perry,  fol- 
lowed the  sedan.  Next  appeared  six  coolies  bearing  the  pres- 
ents designed  for  the  prince  and  queen  dowager,  and  guarded 
by  a  file  of  marines.  Then  came  the  ofiicers  of  the  expedition, 
headed  by  Captains  Buchanan,  Lee,  and  Sinclair,  followed  by 
their  servants.  Next  were  the  band  of  the  Susquehanna,  and 
a  company  of  marines  closed  the  procession,  which  in  num- 
bers amounted  to  some  two  hundred  or  more. 

The  whole  procession  was  well  arranged  and  picturesque 
in  effect ;  while  the  beauty  of  the  day,  the  verdure  of  the  hills 
and  fields,  and  the  cheerful  music  of  the  bands,  gave  life  and 
spirit  to  the  occasion.  The  natives  clustered  thickly  on  the 
sides  of  the  road  to  gaze  on  the  glittering  novelty,  while  crowds 
of  them  hung  in  the  rear  of  the  cortege.  They  did  not  mani- 
fest the  smallest  apprehension,  notwithstanding  the  presence 
of  the  marines  under  arms,  and  evidently  were  pleasantly  ex- 
cited by  the  spectacle  before  them.  When  the  procession 
passed  through  any  narrow  lane  the  natives  nearest  to  them 
knelt,  the  rank  behind  stooped  down,  and  the  rear  remained 
erect,  that  all  might  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing.-  Very 
soon  the  procession  emerged  from  the  village,  and  came  out 
upon  the  open  undulating  country  south  of  Shui.  The  picture 
here  was  perfect.  The  fields  of  upland  rice  were  gracefully 
bendmg  like  waves  before  the  wind  ;  the  groves  and  hill-sides 
were  dark  with  the  deep-green  foliage,  so  suggestive  of  cool 


LEW   CHEW.  257 

shady  retreats,  while,  in  the  distance,  the  roof-tops  of  Shui, 
glittering  in  the  sun,  revealed,  here  and  there,  a  spot  of  daz- 
zling brightness  amid  the  thick,  leafy  covering  of  the  trees  in 
which  the  city  was  embosomed.  Under  clumps  of  the  Lew 
Chew  pine  the  pleased  natives  were  gathered  in  groups,  while 
others  might  be  seen  running  along  the  ridges  that  divided  the 
rice  fields,  that  they  might  head  the  procession,  and  thus  gain 
another  view  ;  while  over  all  the  music  from  the  bands  floated 
far  around,  and  added  to  the  pleasurable  excitement  of  the 
march.  As  the  procession  ascended  the  hill  of  Shui,  the 
officers  and  men,  who  had  been  so  long  confined  to  the  monot- 
ony of  ship  board  life,  gazed  around  with  delight,  perfectly 
charmed  with  the  rich  cultivated  landscape  that  stretched  away 
to  the  southward  and  westward. 

The  officer  designated  to  receive  the  commodore  at  the 
landing,  and  conduct  him  to  the  capital,  was  the  Pe-ching  who 
had  been,  in  the  previous  week,  with  the  exploring  party  into 
the  interior.  When  the  procession  arrived  at  the  gate  of  Shui, 
it  was  met  by  a  crowd  of  native  dignitaries,  with  their  attend- 
ants, all  in  their  best  robes  of  grass  cloth,  and  with  the  red 
and  yellow  hatchee-matchees,  or  peculiar  Lew  Chew  cap,  on 
their  heads.  The  old  regent  and  his  three  venerable  coad- 
jutors here  appeared,  and  after  salutations,  turned  and  accom- 
panied the  procession  into  the  city.  It  passed  on  without 
halting,  through  the  central  arch,  and  marched  up  the  princi- 
pal street.  A  large  train  of  attendants  was  in  the  retinue  of 
the  regent  and  chiefs ;  some  carried  umbrellas,  others  bore 
chow-chow,  or  refreshment  boxes,  cases  for  cups,  and  other  ar- 
ticles. There  was  an  inscription  in  Chinese  characters  over 
the  central  arch,  which  was  translated  by  Mr.  Williams  to 
signify  "  The  place  of  authority ; "  under  this  arch  the  com- 
mon people  were  not  allowed  to  pass. 

The  main  street  showed,  on  either  side,  high  walls,  with 
occasional  alleys  branching  from  it  on  both  sides.  The  native 
officers  kept  the  streets  clear  of  spectators,  except  at  one  spot, 


258  ASIA. 

where  an  alley  branched  off  to  the  left.  Here  was  a  dense 
crowd,  and  here  also  was  exhibited  the  final  device  to  prevent 
the  commodore  from  going  to  the  palace.  The  regent's  own 
residence  was  not  far  from  the  entrance  of  the  street  thus 
crowded,  and  here  the  dignitary  requested,  through  the  inter- 
preter, that  the  procession  should  at  once  go  to  his  house,  and 
partake  of  the  refreshments  he  had  provided.  Mr.  Williams, 
who  saw  at  once  the  object  of  the  request,  paid  no  attention  to 
it,  but  marched  straight  on  to  the  palace  gate.  It  was  obvious 
that  the  regent  had  anticipated  that  his  stratagem  would  prove 
successful,  for  the  gate  of  the  palace  was  closed.  A  messen- 
ger, however,  was  despatched,  at  full  speed,  to  cause  it  to  be 
opened,  and  preparations  to  be  made  for  the  commodore's  re- 
ception. On  arriving  at  the  entrance,  the  artillery  and  marines 
were  drawn  up  in  line,  and  the  commodore  and  his  suite  walked 
past  them  into  the  castle  or  palace  ;  the  troops  presented  arms, 
the  ensigns  were  lowered,  and  the  band  played  "  Hail  Co- 
lumbia." 

On  entering  the  first  gateway,  a  second  wall  and  portal 
were  seen  above  (for  the  edifice  stood  on  a  cliff  or  elevation 
of  rock,  which  formed,  indeed,  part  of  its  foundation),  and 
this  second  gateway  formed  the  entrance  to  the  outer  court  of 
the  palace,  which  crowned  the  height.  This  court  was  sur- 
rounded by  houses,  which  seemed  to  be  designed  for  servants 
and  others  belonging  to  the  royal  household.  On  the  eastern 
side,  however,  was  another  gateway,  resembling  the  Chinese 
portals  of  honor.  This  consisted  of  two  arches,  and  the  com- 
modore was  conducted,  as  a  mark  of  honor  and  respect  due  to 
his  rank,  through  that  on  the  right  hand,  into  what  appeared 
to  be  the  central  court  of  the  palace.  It  was  about  eighty  fe«t 
square,  with  very  plain  wooden  buUdings,  of  one  story  only, 
on  its  sides,  and  was  paved  with  gravel  and  large  tiles,  ar- 
ranged in  alternate  lozenges.  The  hall  of  reception  was  on 
the  north  side.  All  the  other  buildings,  on  the  other  sides, 
were  protected  by  screens  from  the  view  of  those  in  the  court. 


LEW  CHEW. 


259 


Tlie  commodore  was  conducted  into  the  hall  of  audience, 
and  placed  in  a  chair  at  the  head  of  the  room,  on  the  right 
hand  side  ;  the  officers  followed,  and  were  ranged  in  chairs  on 
a  single  line,  next  to  the  commodore,  according  to  rank.  These 
chairs  were  of  some  dark  wood,  lacquered,  and  were  like  our 
camp  stools.  There  was  also  a  double  line  of  members  of  the 
commodore's  retinue  across  the  bottom  of  the  room.  On  the 
left  side  of  the  apartment  sat  the  regent,  with  his  three  prin- 
cipal councillors,  and  a  double  rank  of  attendants  stood  behind 


SCEKE  IN  LEW  CHEW. 


them.  The  interpreters  stood  at  the  head  of  the  room,  near 
the  commodore,  but  between  him  and  the  regent.  All  having 
been  thus  accommodated,  time  was  affiarded  for  looking  around. 
On  the  wall  was  a  large  red  tablet,  inscribed  with  Chinese 
characters,  which  signify,  in  English,  "  The  elevated  inclosure 
of  fragrant  festi\'ities ; "  an  inscription,  by  the  way,  which 
seems  more  appropriate  to  a  place  of  feasting  than  to  a  hall 
of  diplomacy  or  state  receptions,  where  there  is  ordinarily 
little  fragrance  and  less  festivity. 


260  ASIA. 

The  queen  dowager,  who  had  been  so  pathetically  repre- 
sented as  being  sick,  did  not,  of  course,  make  her  appearance  ; 
nor  did  the  boy  prince,  for  whom  the  regent  governed.  After 
mutual  salutations,  tables  were  brought,  and  cups  of  very  weak 
tea  were  presented  to  the  guests.  Smoking  boxes  were  also 
distributed  around  the  room,  and  twists  of  very  tough  ginger- 
bread were  placed  on  the  table.  In  short,  it  was  obvious  that 
the  visit  at  the  palace  was  unexpected  ;  it  had  been  supposed, 
probably,  that  the  stratagem  of  the  regent  to  prevent  it,  by 
taking  the  commodore  to  his  own  house,  would  succeed  ;  and, 
consequently,  no  preparations  had  been  made  for  the  reception 
of  the  company  at  the  palace.  Presently  the  commodore  in- 
vited the  regent  and  his  three  colleagues  to  visit  him  on  board 
the  Susquehanna.  He  stated  that  he  intended  leaving  Napha 
in  a  day  or  two,  but  that,  after  ten  days,  he  should  return 
again,  and  would  receive  them  at  any  time  they  might  choose 
to  appoint,  either  before  his  departure  or  after  his  return. 
They  replied,  that  they  would  leave  the  time  of  the  visit  to  be 
named  by  the  commodore,  and  he  stated  that  he  would  prefer 
it  should  be  made  after  his  return.  To  this  they  assented 
with  seeming  satisfaction.  The  next  step  in  the  ceremonies 
consisted  in  the  regent's  taking  several  large  red  cards,  similar 
to  those  used  on  state  occasions  in  China,  when  he  and  his 
three  companions  rose,  advanced  a  few  steps,  and  bowed  pro- 
foundly. The  commodore  and  all  the  officers  rose  and  bowed 
in  return,  but  without  precisely  understanding  what  the  hom- 
age of  the  Lew  Che  wans  particularly  meant ;  they  were  deter- 
mined, however,  not  to  be  outdone  in  the  outward  symbols  of 
civility. 

The  conamodore  then  tendered  to  the  regent  such  articles 
as  he  might  need  or  desired  to  possess,  provided  he  had  them 
on  board  any  of  the  ships,  adding  that  it  would  give  him 
pleasure  to  supply  them.  Hereupon  the  four  dignitaries  rose 
again,  advanced,  and  bowed  as  before.  The  interview  was 
becoming  rather  uninteresting,  and  it  was  quite  plain  that  the 


LEW   CHEW.  261 

magnates  of  Lew  Chew  were,  from  some  cause  or  other,  not 
quite  at  their  ease. 

After  about  an  hour  the  regent  rose  and  proposed  that  the 
commodore  should  visit  him  now,  at  his  own  house.  This 
was  alike  intelligible  and  agreeable,  and  the  procession  was 
formed  and  marched  to  the  street  where  it  had  been  invited  to 
enter  on  its  way  to  the  palace.  The  house  of  the  regent  was 
spacious,  consisting  of  a  central  hall,  with  wings  open  to  the 
court-yard,  from  which  it  was  separated  by  a  narrow  verandah 
only.  The  floor  was  covered  with  fine  matting.  It  was  at 
once  apparent  that  most  hospitable  preparations  had  here  been 
made  for  the  entertainment  of  the  American  visitors.  Four 
tables  were  set  in  the  central  apartment  and  three  in  each  of 
the  wings,  and  the.se  were  covered  with  a  most  bountiful  colla- 
tion. Immediately  on  entering  the  guests  were  desired  to  seat 
themselves,  the  commodore,  with  Captains  Buchanan  and 
Adams,  occupying  the  highest  table  on  the  right  hand,  and 
the  regent  and  his  associates  the  one  opposite  on  the  left.  A 
pair  of  chop-sticks  was  placed  at  each  corner  of  every  table  ; 
in  the  centre  was  an  earthern  pot  filled  with  saki  (the  intox- 
icating drink  made  by  the  Lew  Chewans),  surrounded  with 
four  acorn  cups,  four  large,  coarse  China  cups,  with  clumsy 
spoons  of  the  same  material,  and  four  teacups.  On  each  table 
were  dishes  to  the  number  of  some  twenty,  of  various  sizes 
and  shapes,  and  the  exact  basis  of  some  of  which  no  American 
knoweth  to  this  day ;  possibly  it  was  a  pig.  Of  the  dishes, 
however,  which  were  familiar  to  western  apprehension,  there 
were  sliced  boiled  eggs,  which  had  been  dyed  crimson,  fish 
made  into  rolls  and  boiled  in  fat,  pieces  of  cold  baked  fish, 
slices  of  hog's  liver,  sugar  candy,  cucumbers,  mustard,  salted 
radish  tops,  and  fragments  of  lean  pork,  fried.  Cups  of  tea 
were  first  handed  round ;  these  were  followed  by  very  small 
cups  of  saki,  which  had  the  taste  of  French  liqueur.  Small 
bamboo  sticks,  sharpened  at  one  end,  and  which  some  of  the 
guests  mistook  for  toothpicks,  were  furnished,  to  be  used  as 


262  ASIA. 

forks  in  taking  balls  of  meat  and  dough  from  the  soup,  which 
made  the  first  course.  Soup  constituted  also  the  next  seven 
courses  of  the  twelve,  whereof  the  repast  consisted.  The 
other  four  were  gingerbread,  salad  made  of  bean  sprouts  and 
young  onion  tops,  a  basket  of  what  appeared  to  be  some  dark 
red  fruit,  but  proved  to  be  artificial  balls  composed  of  a  thin 
dough  rind  covering  a  sugary  pulp,  and  a  delicious  mixture 
compounded  of  beaten  eggs  and  a  slender  white  root  with  an 
aromatic  taste. 

Novel  as  was  this  bill  of  fare,  the  gentlemen  of  the  expe- 
dition endeavored,  with  true  courtesy,  to  do  honor  to  the  repast, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  twelfth  course  respectfully  took  leave, 
though  they  were  assured  there  were  twelve  more  to  come. 
The  number  of  the  courses  indicated  the  desire  to  do  our  coun- 
trymen a  double  share  of  honor,  inasmuch  as  twelve  is  the 
prescribed  number  for  a  royal  entertainment.  The  Lew 
Ohewans,  far  removed  as  they  are  from  the  conventionalities 
of  western  civilization,  seemed,  notwithstanding,  to  understand 
very  well  the  habit  of  drinking  toasts  and  giving  sentiments, 
and,  indeed,  were  ready  enough  to  drink,  on  private  account, 
without  any  stately  formality,  as  the  saki  circulated  freely  dur- 
ing the  eight  courses  of  soup.  When  the  commodore  supposed 
the  solids  were  about  to  appear,  he  rose,  and  proposed  as  a  toast 
the  health  of  the  queen  mother  and  the  young  viceroy,  adding, 
"  Prosperity  to  the  Lew  Chewans,  and  may  they  and  the 
Americans  always  be  friends."  This,  having  been  translated 
to  the  regent,  appeared  greatly  to  gratify  him,  and  was  drunk 
standing,  with  Lew  Chew  honors,  which  consist  of  draining 
the  small  cup  of  saki,  holding  a  teaspoon  full,  at  one  gulp, 
and  turning  the  vessel  bottom  upward.  The  commodore  after- 
ward proposed  the  health  of  the  regent  and  his  associates, 
which  the  latter  returned  by  proposing  the  health  of  the  com- 
modore and  the  ofiicers  of  the  squadron.  By  this  time  the 
embarrassment  and  anxious  looks  of  the  Japanese  officials 
had  entirely  vanished ;  from  what  cause  they  had  proceeded 


LEW  CHEW.  263 

our  officers  could  not  learn,  but  most  probably  from  the  con- 
sciousness that  they  were  under  espionage,  and  that  all  they 
said  or  did  would  be  reported  to  those  above  them.  The  en- 
tertainment, however,  proceeded  and  terminated  with  the  best 
possible  feeling  on  both  sides. 


-'M' 


BAMBOO   VILLAGE,   LEW   CHEW. 


At  length  the  feast  was  over,  and  the  American  guests  took 
their  departure,  the  procession  forming  in  the  same  order  as 
before.  The  subordinate  Japanese  officials  escorted  it  to  the 
gate,  and  the  old  Pe-ching  again  took  his  station  in  advance. 
On  starting  down  the  hill,  four  little  ponies  which  had  gone 
up  without  finding  riders,  were  now  led  by  the  grooms  to  the 
rear  of  the  procession,  and  some  of  the  younger  officers  deter- 
mined to  try  their  mettle  in  a  ride  down.  They  were  very 
small  animals,  of  bay  color,  but  exceedingly  spirited ;  and 
kicking  and  plunging  with  untiring  vivacity,  and  somewhat  of 
temper,  treated,  at  first,  with  sublime  contempt  all  efforts  to 
reduce  them  to  a  gravity  befitting  the  occasion,  and  indig- 
nantly resisted  every  attempt  to  induce  them,  with  the  rational 
sobriety  of  discreet  brutes,  to  take  their  places  in  the  rear, 
and  march  understandingly,  as  became  them.  Like  ill-bred 
ponies,  as  they  were,  they  kicked  up  their  heels,  and  endeavored 


2G4  ASIA. 

to  do  much  as  they  pleased.  This,  however,  merely  afforded 
more  fun  to  the  officers  than  if  the  wiry  little  creatures  had 
behaved  themselves  discreetly  as  part  of  the  American  pro- 
cession. 

The  descent  of  the  hill  was  rather  warm,  as  it  was  not  far 
from  noon,  and  the  sun  shone  full  in  the  faces  of  the  pro- 
cession ;  but,  on  reaching  the  wooded  slopes,  it  was  met  by 
the  grateful  sea-breeze,  and  the  boats  were  seen  quietly  rest- 
ing on  the  waters  of  the  bay,  while  their  crews  were  scattered 
in  groups  under  the  trees,  watching  the  coming  on  of  the  pro- 
cession, and  waiting  to  know  whether  due  honor  had  been  shown 
to  the  United  States  in  the  person  of  their  "  Old  Commodore." 
Each  boat  had  the  American  colors  flying,  and  Jack  was  made 
happy  by  the  assurance  that  all  possible  respect  had  been  paid 
to  his  flag.  By  half-past  two,  the  whole  procession  was  again 
on  board  the  ships,  without  any  accident  or  untoward  incident 
having  occurred  to  mar  either  the  pleasure  or  success  of  the 
trip  ;  and  thus  ended  the  grand  official  visit  to  the  palace.  «  It 
was  a  judicious  determination  on  the  part  of  the  commodore 
to  make  it ;  and,  having  announced  such  determination  to  the 
Lew  Chewans,  it  was  especially  wise  to  carry  it  through  to 
the  letter.  The  moral  influence  produced  by  such  a  steadfast 
adherence  to  his  avowed  purposes  very  soon  exhibited  itself. 
It  was  part  of  the  commodore's  deliberately-formed  plan,  in 
all  his  intercourse  with  these  orientals,  to  consider  carefully 
before  he  announced  his  resolution  to  do  any  act ;  but,  having 
announced  it,  he  soon  taught  them  to  know  that  he  would  do 
precisely  what  he  had  said  he  would.  To  this  single  circum- 
stance much  of  his  success  is  to  be  attributed.  He  never  de- 
ceived them  by  any  falsehood,  nor  ever  gave  them  reason  to 
suppose  that  his  purposes  could  be  altered  by  their  lies  and 
stratagems^  They,  of  course,  saw  at  once  that  he  was  reso- 
lute, and  that  it  was  dangerous  to  trifle  with  him.  His  whole 
diplomatic  policy  was  simply  to  stick  to  the  truth  in  every 
thing — to  mean  just  what  he  said,  and  do  just  what  he  prom- 


LEW   CHEW.  265 

ised.  Of  course,  it  triumphed  over  a  system  which  admitted 
of  no  truth,  but  for  purposes  of  deception. 

Several  little  circumstances  connected  with  the  excursion 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  commodore,  and,  as  illustrative 
of  manners  and  customs,  deserve  a  passing  notice.  The  first 
was  the  exceeding  cleanliness  of  the  Lew  Chewans,  and  their 
striking  contrast  to  the  Chinese  in  this  particular.  The  com- 
modore, in  speaking  of  Shui,  says  :  "  Never  have  I  seen  a  city 
or  town  exhibiting  a  greater  degree  of  cleanliness  ;  not  a  par- 
ticle of  dirt,  or  even  dust,  could  be  seen,  so  different  is  it  from 
the  filthiness  of  all  Chinese  cities." 

The  road  over  which  the  procession  passed  was  remarkably 
well  constructed.  It  was  elaborately  paved  with  coral  rock, 
very  neatly  fitted  together,  and  the  upper  surface  rendered 
smooth,  either  by  artificial  means  or  the  constant  attrition  of 
travel. 

The  peasantry  who  hung  upon  the  edges  of  the  procession 
seemed  to  be  of  the  lowest  orders  seen  in  Lew  Chew,  and  ex- 
hibited a  squalid  and  rather  miserable  appearance ;  many  of 
them  were  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  piece  of  cloth 
about  the  loins ;  and  among  the  thousands  of  these  people 
attracted  by  the  novelty  of  the  spectacle,  singular  as  it  may 
appear,  not  a  woman  was  to  be  seen.  The  great  population 
of  the  island  may,  therefore,  fairly  be  inferred  from  the  large 
multitudes  assembled,  composed  of  but  one-half  of  the  com- 
mon people.  These  men  who  were  seen  probably  compose 
the  laboring  class,  receiving  for  their  daily  toil  scanty  food 
and  harsh  treatment.  The  idlers  are  the  priests,  and  the 
hordes  of  spies  and  policemen  who  throng  the  highways,  and 
who  are  watching  every  thing  by  day  and  night. 

On  the  whole,  the  commodore  was  pleased  with  the  suavity 
and  politeness  of  the  higher  classes,  and  with  the  seeming  cor- 
diality of  the  hospitality  which  had  been  shown  him ;  if  the 
Lew  Chewans  were  not  sincere,  they  were,  at  least,  very  good 
actors.  As  to  the  culinary  skill  that  had  been  employed  in 
12 


ASIA. 


preparing  the  regent's  feast,  there  were  certainly  dishes  of  the 
composition  of  which  the  guests  were  ignorant,  but  still  they 
were,  in  general,  savory  and  very  good  ;  much  more  so  than 
those  presented  by  Chinese  cookery.    Whenever  a  fresh  course 


LEW   CHEW  PEASANT 


AN  ADVENTUEE  m   CHINA.  267 

was  brought  in  at  the  regent's  feast,  the  host  and  his  brother 
dignitaries  rose,  and  emptied  their  small  cups  of  saki  to  the 
health  of  the  guests  ;  and  the  regent  always  gave  a  signal  to 
the  commodore  when  to  commence  on  a  new  course. 

At  the  reception  in  the  palace,  though  the  queen  did  not 
appear,  yet  the  commodore  was  quite  satisfied  that  the  story 
he  had  been  told  about  her  desperate  illness,  by  the  regent, 
was  all  fiction ;  and,  in*  fact,  if  she  were  not,  as  some  sus- 
pected, a  myth,  he  thought  it  not  improbable  that  she  and  her 
attendant  ladies  were  behind  the  screen,  looking  through  some 
crevice  at  the  western  strangers,  possibly  not  a  little  amused 
at  the  novel  show.  At  any  rate,  he  was  so  certain  that  she 
would  survive  his  visit,  that  he  caused  to  be  sent  to  the  palace 
a  present  for  her  of  a  handsome  mirror,  and  a  quantity  of 
French  perfumery ;  and  left  there  also  the  gifts  which  he  de- 
signed for  the  prince,  the  regent,  the  mayor  of  Napha,  and 
other  dignitaries. 


AI^  ADVENTURE  IN  CHINA. 

In  August,  1822,  when  opium  smuggling  into  China  by 
English  ships  was  in  its  infancy,  three  of  these  vessels  were  at 
anchor  in  the  pretty  little  land-locked  bay  called  Cumson 
Moon,  about  twelve  miles  to  the  northeast  of  Macao.  The 
inhabitants  about  that  part  of  the  country  had,  up  to  this 
time,  scarcely  ever  been  visited  by  foreigners  ;  and  although  it 
turned  out  that  they  were  filled  with  the  usual  Chinese  ill  feel- 
ing toward  them,  yet  the  report  from  the  ship  which  had 
been  longest  there  was  so  favorable,  as  to  cause  all  arms  to 
be  dispensed  with  by  the  crews  on  going  on  shore  at  any  time, 
until  the  following  occurrence  took  place. 

Soon  after  breakfast  one  fine  clear  day,  Mr.  A ,  a 

young  officer  belonging  to  the  "  Swinger,"  was  sent  on  shore 
to  fill  water  in  the  launch,  with  a  crew  of  eight  Lascars  and 


268  ASIA. 

one  Englishman.  It  so  happened  that  he  met  another  officer 
from  the  "  Nymph  "  on  shore,  who  was  on  the  same  duty  as 
himself.  The  two  youngsters  proceeded  to  take  a  walk  into 
the  country,  for  the  purpose  of  amusement  and  information. 
In  doing  so,  however,  they  had  to  leave  the  boats  and  ships 
entirely  out  of  sight,  turning  sharp  round  a  bluiF  point  very 
near  to  the  watering-place ;  which  will  be  seen  in  the  sequel 
to  have  been  a  gross  want  of  prudence,  giving  the  hidden  ene- 
my all  the  advantage  which  they  seem  to  have  been  stealthily 
watching  for. 

The  walk  was  pursued  for  about  a  mile  inland,  toward  a  hill ; 
and  then  on  returning  by  the  same  path,  about  five  hundred 
yards  from  the  boat,  but  hidden  by  the  bluff,  they  were  met 
by  thirty  or  forty  Chinamen,  some  with  hoes,  and  some  with 
Ifeavy  sticks,  used  for  carrying  weighty  things  across  their 
shoulders.  The  Chinamen,  after  passing,  and  having  a  great 
deal  to  say  among  themselves,  came  after  the  officers,  pulling 
them  by  the  sleeve  once  or  twice  to  stop  them,  and  stood  in 

the  way  also  to  prevent  progress.      Mr.  A ,  seeing  that 

they  were  bent  on  a  disturbance,  thought,  under  the  circum- 
stances, that  discretion  would  be  the  best  mode  of  tactics.  He 
stopped  and  turned  round,  but  in  a  moment  was  knocked  down 
by  a  blow  from  some  of  the  crowd  of  Chinamen.  This  was 
followed  up  by  tying  the  unfortunate  officer's  hands  and  feet, 
stealing  his  neckerchief  (nearly  strangling  him  in  the  act),  and 
one  shoe  from  his  foot,  and  then  letting  him  lie  on  the  ground. 

Mr.  B ,  seeing  this  state  of  things,  and  possessing  good 

long  legs,  considered  that  now  was  the  time  to  use  them,  by 
running  through  the  mob  to  the  boats  for  assistance,  which  he 
fortunately  effected.  The  two  crews  of  Lascars  and  the  one 
English  sailor  now  took  oars  and  stretchers  from  the  boats, 
and  bravely  fought  the  Chinamen  for  a  short  time,  till  they 
were  driven  back  to  their  boats  by  overpowering  numbers, 
and  shoved  off,  without  further  loss,  to  their  respective  ships, 
to  tell  the  tale  of  Mr.  A being  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 


AN  ADVENTUEE   m   CHINA. 


269 


The  captain  of  the  "  Swinger  "  (an  old  lieutenant,  R.  N.) 
immediately  boarded  the  "  Nymph"  and  "  Sea  Gull,"  and  ad- 
vised a  razzia  of  the  country  till  Mr.  A should  be  found 

and  brought  back,  dead  or  alive,  which  was  forthwith  put  in 
execution,  by  mustering  on  shore  in  due  time  all  the  officers, 
petty  officers,  Lascars  and  sepoys  who  could  be  spared  from 
the  three  ships,  well  armed  with  muskets,  fowling-pieces, 
swords,  pistols,  etc.,  of  which  opium  ships  in  those  days  had 
no  niggardly  supply. 


PEKIN,    CHINA. 


But  we  must  now  return  to  Mr.  A .      The  moment 

the  Chinamen  saw  the  boats  shove  off  from  the  shore,  the  or- 
der was  given  to  put  Mr.  A on  his  legs,  by  untying  them  ; 

and  he,  having  picked  up  his  hat,  but  still  minus  the  shoe  and 
neckerchief,  stood  for  a  moment,  till  the  words,  "  Fye,  fye," 


2Y0  ASIA. 

were  given  by  one  of  four  villanous-looking  fellows  who  were 
now  left  in  sole  charge  of  the  prisoner.  Not  knowing  the 
meaning  of  this,  however,  at  the  time — namely,  "  run,  run" — 
he  still  stood,  and  was  forthwith  saluted  by  a  stroke  from  a 
bamboo  across  the  back  of  the  legs  near  the  heels,  and  dragged 
forward  at  the  same  instant  by  two  of  the  four  men,  the  other 
two  following  in  the  rear  with  bamboos,  in  case  any  slacken- 
ing of  the  pace  should  appear. 

In  this  manner,  at  a  hard  trot,  did  these  wretches  drive 

Mr.  A through  paddy  fields,  and  all  sorts  of  ground,  till 

they  reached  the  top  of  a  hill,  about  two  hundred  feet  high, 
although  he  was  in  great  pain  from  the  blow  which  he  had  re- 
ceived, and  hardly  able  to  move  at  all.     Before  ascending  the 

hill  on  the  other  side,  Mr.  A turned  round  to  look  at  the 

ships  in  the  distance  with  feelings  of  a  somewhat  melancholy 
nature,  as  may  be  supposed,  when  the  same  man  who  had 
struck  him  said,  in  half  Portuguese,  half  Chinese,  "  Do  you 
want  to  look  ?  look !  it  is  your  last  look !  "  These  words  Mr. 
A happened  to  understand,  from  having  heard  occasional- 
ly a  little  of  this  jargon  at  Macao,  and  they  certainly  did  not 
tend  to  soothe  his  mind  in  its  then  anxious  state.  Still,  he  had 
a  kind  of  hope  that  dollars  might  gain  his  release,  although  up 
to  this  time  appearances  were  far  from  favoring  such  an  idea. 
Having  descended  the  hill  toward  the  beach,  on  the  opposite 
side  from  the  ships,  and  after  a  two  miles'  run  with  the  heat 
at  100°  at  least,  they  halted  under  some  trees  close  to  a  small 

stream  of  water,  of  which  Mr.  A asked  to  be  allowed  to 

drink,  which  was  granted.  He  then,  seeing  that  his  wrists 
were  already  considerably  swollen,  from  the  tightness  of  the 
rope  by  which  they  were  bound,  asked  to  have  it  slackened. 
This  was  also  not  only  granted,  but  he  was  then  only  tied  by 
one  hand  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  run  was  again  commenced 
for  a  further  distance  of  about  two  miles,  nearly  the  whole  of 
which  was  through  heavy  sand,  till  at  last  a  village  was  en- 
tered, and  Mr.  A was  safely  housed  in  a  large  ground- 


AN  ADVENTITEE   m   CniNA. 


271 


floor  room  on  one  side  of  a  square  court,  where  were  two  long 
tables,  and  benches  on  either  side  of  them. 

Tired  and  fagged  with  a  four-mile  march  at  the  double, 
and  dragged  along  by  the  rope  like  a  bullock  to  be  slaughter- 
ed, he  sat  down  at  one  of  the  tables  with  feelings  more  easily 
imagined  than  described.  These  were  certainly  not  much  re- 
lieved when,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  demon  of  the  bamboo 


CHINESE  BOAT   GIRL. 


brought  some  huge  knives  from  a  comer  of  the  room,  and  put 
them  to  his  neck  with  a  grin  of  delight,  saying  that  the  man- 
darin would  soon  be  there  to  pass  sentence  of  death  on  him, 
when  he  should  cut  off  his  head  in  the  manner  then  shown. 

Meanwhile,  hundreds  of  people  came  to  see  the  Fankwei 
— ^men,  women,  and  children — ^who  had  never  beheld  one  in 
their  lives  before ;  some  wondered  at  his  dress,  others  at  his 


272  ASIA. 

hair,  and  nearly  all  jeered  and  laughed  at  his  position ;  even 

the  women,  whose  compassion  Mr.  A had  tried  to  gain, 

abused  him  and  talked  of  the  mandarin,  making  signs  also  of 
cutting  off  a  head,  etc. 

The  crowd  being  by  this  time  very  great,  and  adding  much 
to  the  -^most  insufferable  heat,  Mr.  A begged  to  be  re- 
lieved firom  such  unwelcome  visitors  if  possible,  which  request 
was  immediately  acceded  to,  by  his  being  placed  in  a  small 
room  on  the  other  side  of  the  court,  where  was  the  usual  Chi- 
nese bed — ^namely,  a  mat  and  glazed  pillow  on  a  board,  and  a 
stool  and  table  with  a  teapot  and  cup  on  it.  The  door  of  this 
place  was  only  a  mat  hung  from  the  top,  which  was  occasion- 
ally lifted  up,  to  allow  the  favored  few  to  have  a  peep  at  the 
Fankwei,  or  foreign  devil. 

Mr.  A here  threw  himself  down  on  the  mat  bed,  to 

await,  as  he  hoped,  the  coming  of  the  captain  to  his  rescue, 
which  he  knew  from  experience  he  would  do  immediately  on 
learning  the  circumstances  of  the  case  from  the  boat's  crew 

(for  he  did  not  then  know  of  the  escape  of  Mr.  B ),  and 

he  prayed  sincerely  that  this  might  happen  before  the  arrival 
of  the  said  mandarin.  The  natives  offered  him  tea,  which  he 
gladly  accepted,  after  he  had  first  seen  them  drink  out  of  the 
same  pot;  and  in  a  short  time,  amongst  the  "  favored  few" 
who  were  allowed  to  peep  into  this  raree-show,  appeared  a 

man  who  accosted  Mr.  A with  the  well-known  sounds  of 

"  Hey,  yah,  how  you  do  ?  I  have  seen  you  before  ;  I  thinkee 
at  Macao."    Never  was  mongrel  English  more  welcome.    Mr. 

A recollected  having  seen  the  man  somewhere,  and  at 

once  looked  upon  him  as  a  friend,  and  asked  if  he  thought 
there  was  any  danger  of  his  being  killed,  as  had  been  threats 
ened ;  to  which  the  man  said,  in  a  careless,  unsatisfactory  sort 
of  way,  "  No,  I  no  thinkee  so." 

"  Do  they  want  dollars?"  asked  Mr.  A . 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply. 

"How  much?" 


AN  ADVENTURE   ET   CHmA.  273 

"  Two  thousand,"  said  the  man. 

"Maskee"  (never  mind),  answered  the  prisoner.  "If 
you  will  give  me  a  pen  and  ink,  with  a  sheet  of  paper,  and 
take  a  letter  to  the  captain  when  written,  he  will  give  you  the 
dollars."  To  this  an  assent  was  at  once  given,  and  the  ne- 
cessary articles  being  produced,  a  letter  was  forthwith  •written 

by  Mr.  A ,  descriptive  of  the  state  of  the  case  J^d  his 

whereabouts,  as  near  as  he  could  guess,  not  for^fe^ng  the 
bearing  of  the  village  from  the  ship  by  compass,  and  request- 
ing that  the  number  of  dollars  should  be  paid  which  were  de- 
manded, and  no  killing  or  wounding  at  the  watering  place  ;  as 

Mr.  A was  so  completely  in  the  Chinamen's  hands  that 

he  would  then  be  sure  to  be  beheaded.  He  also  asked  for  a 
pair  of  shoes  to  be  sent,  to  enable  him  to  walk  back  to  the 
ship. 

When  this  letter  was  despatched,  Mr.  A lay  down 

once  more  on  the  mat,  and  was  now  in  a  comparatively  com- 
posed state  of  mind,  being  under  the  impression  that  he  would 
be  a  prisoner  for  four  or  five  days  at  least,  as  the  captain  would 
require  to  get  the  ship  under  weigh  and  proceed  to  Macao  for 
such  an  amount  as  two  thousand  dollars,  if  that  sum  should 
really  be  demanded  by  the  messenger.  Far  different  was  the 
result,  however. 

On  the  man's  arrival  at  the  watering  place,  he  found  a  con- 
siderable number  of  weH-armed  men  and  officers,  all  ready  for 
an  attack,  and  vowing  vengeance  against  all  Chinamen.  The 
letter  was  delivered  to  the  captain,  and  when  read,  the  man 

was  asked  how  many  dollars  were  demanded,  Mr.  A 

having  in  the  letter  stated  no  particular  number,  but  merely 
"to  pay"  the  amount  "demanded."  His  answer  was  fifty, 
which  the  captain  immediately  went  on  board  the  ship  and 
procured,  taking  the  opportunity  of  getting  a  pair  of  shoes  to 

send,  and  writing  a  letter  to  Mr.  A at  the  same  time  ;  all 

of  which  he  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  messenger,  the  dol- 
lars sealed  up  in  a  bag,  addressed  to  Mr.  A . 

12* 


274 


ASIA. 


As  this  man  objected  to  any  Englishman  going  to  the  vil- 
lage along  with  him,  from  fear  of  a  fight,  it  was  thought  ad- 
visable to  give  in  to  him,  and  send  a  Chinese  carpenter,  who 
belonged  to  one  of  the  ships,  to  assist  in  the  negotiation,  and 
show  the  road  back  to  Mr.  A ,  no  difficulty  being  appre- 


CHINESE  WOMAN   AND   CHILD. 


hended,  as  the  whole  sum  asked  for  had  been  given,  and  the 
captain  having  no  knowledge  of  any  greater  having  been 
spoken  of.  He  told  the  man,  however,  that,  having  satisfied 
his  demands,  he  would  allow  a  reasonable  time  for  the  release 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN   CHINA.  275 

of  Mr.  A ;  but  if  this  was  not  then  accomplished,  he 

would  burn  the  village,  and  "  make  a  second  Linton  busi- 
ness of  it,  and  take  him  by  force  :  "  alluding  to  what  had  been 
done  there  a  few  months  before  by  H.  M.  frigate  "  Topaze," 
which  caused  a  stoppage  of  trade  for  six  weeks  at  Canton. 

With  this  warning,  the  two  Chinamen  left  the  little 
"army"  at  the  watering  place,  and  in  due  time  made  their 
appearance  at  the  village,  and  delivered  the  bag  of  dollars, 
letter,  and  shoes  to  Mr.  A ,  who,  on  recognizing  the  car- 
penter, immediately  gave  him  the  dollars  to  hand  over  to  the 
four  "  braves,"  and  expected  to  be  allowed  to  decamp  forth- 
vdth.  But,  "  man,  man  ! "  (stop  !)  was  the  order,  and  a  long 
angry  conversation  took  place  in  the  large  room  amongst  many 
Chinamen,  who  were  not  a  little  annoyed  at  the  small  sum  re- 
ceived by  their  messenger  ;  but  they  had  not  seen  the  "  guns 
an^  swords,  and  rungs  and  gads  "  which  caused  this  craven 
to  reduce  his  figures  so  instantaneously ;  and  it  took  at  least 
twenty  minutes  of  verbal  war  for  him  to  convince  his  friends 
that  it  was  better  to  pocket  fifty  dollars  with  a  whole  skin, 
than  lose  their  village  and  their  lives  by  standing  out  for  a 
larger  sum.     The  carpenter,  no  doubt,  had  some  weight  in 

the  argument,  and  at  last  Mr.  A was  "  granted  a  pass  " 

to  the  watering  place,  in  company  with  the  carpenter.  He 
tried  hard  to  induce  the  four  braves  to  accompany  him  back, 
by  way  of  showing  the  road,  having  a  distant  glimmering  of 
seeing  them  tied  up  at  the  gangway  of  his  ship,  and  expatiat- 
ing their  offences  under  the  boatswain's  tuition ;  but  as  the 
probability  of  such  a  climax  had  no  doubt  been  hinted  to  their 
own  minds,  the  invitation  was  politely  refused,  saving  so  far 
as  to  the  skirts  of  the  village. 

With  a  light  heart,  Mr.  A now  travelled  along  with 

the  carpenter,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  had  the  gratifica- 
tion of  being  welcomed  at  the  watering  place  by  three  cheers 
from  the  armed  party  in  waiting,  and  many  a  hearty  shake  of 
congratulation  by  the  hand ;  feeling  at  the  same  time  deeply 


276  ASIA. 

thankful  to  the  Almighty  for  his  merciful  escape,  and  particu- 
larly for  having  so  willed  it  that  he  should  have  been  without 
arms  on  the  occasion  of  his  capture  ;  as  they  certainly  would 
have  been  used,  and,  as  a  consequence,  would  almost  as  cer- 
tainly have  been  the  cause  of  his  murder. 

As  it  is  customary  in  China  for  all  mandarins  to  live  upon 
those  under  them,  by  "  squeezing,"  or  making  them  pay  dollars, 
it  was  not  much  to  be  wondered  at  that  some  of  them  should 
try  to  make  capital  out  of  the  above  occurrence ;  and  conse- 
quently, three  or  four  days  afterwards  a  man-of-war  junk, 
sent  by  the  admiral  from  Cheun-pee,  came  to  anchor  in  the 
bay,  and  in  a  short  time  the  mandarin  went  on  board  the 
"  Swinger,"  and  made  inquiries  touching  the  description  of  the 
attacking  parties,  and  particularly  that  of  the  four  "  braves," 
which  was  easily  given  by  Mr.  A ,  their  features  being  in- 
delibly imprinted  on  his  mind,  and  he  having  in  addition  been 
able  to  get  hold  of  their  names  from  some  of  the  natives  at  the 
watering  place. 

The  mandarin  said  he  should  go  on  shore  and  seize  those 
men,  and,  if  successful,  bring  them  on  board  the  "  Swinger  " 

the  following  day  for  Mr.  A to  identify,  when  he  should 

tie  them  up  and  flog  them  till  Mr.  A was  satisfied.     But 

on  that  same  evening  an  East  India  Company's  ship  arrived 
and  anchored  at  Linton,  and  the  captain  of  the  "  Swinger  " 
having  business  to  transact  with  it,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to 
get  under  weigh  at  daylight  on  the  following  morning,  and  sail 
for  that  island,  distant  about  six  or  seven  miles,  which  prevented 

Mr.  A witnessing  the  flogging  of  the  four  "  braves  ;  "  for 

it  was  shortly  afterwards  known  that  the  mandarin  did  seize 
them,  and  not  only  flogged  them  well,  but  "  squeezed  "  them 
well  also. 

The  ship  which  had  arrived  was  that  to  which  Mr.  A 

properly  belonged,  he  having  only  been  lent  to  do  duty  in  the 
"  Swinger  "  during  her  temporary  absence  at  Penang ;  and  as 
he  then  forever  quitted  the  opium  service,  he  has  had  no  sub- 


A  NIGHT  AMONG  CHINESE   PIRATES. 


277 


sequent  opportunity  of  learning  any  further  particulars  con- 
cerning the  men  who  committed  this  outrage,  or  even  the 
name  of  the  village  to  which  he  was  dragged.  The  facts  are, 
however,  strictly  true,  and  will  tend  to  show  how  absolutely 
necessary  it  is  for  all  boats'  crews  to  use  the  greatest  caution 
on  landinjr  on  the  coasts  of  China. 


A  NIGHT  AMONG  CHINESE  PIRATES. 


Everybody  knows  that  the  coasts  of  China  are  sadly  in- 
fested with  pirates.     Of  this  ugly  fact  I  was  forcibly  reminded 

as  I  stood  on  the  deck  of  the  good  ship  S ,  in  which  I  was 

to  sail  from  Hong  Kong  to  Amoy.  _As  we  were  about  to 
weigh  anchor,  a  boat  came  alongside,  from  which  several  Chi- 
nese sailors  clambered  on  deck  and  inquired  for  the  captain. 
Having  found  him,  they  explained  that  they  had  been  deputed 
by  the  captains  of  eight  junks  which  were  bound  for  Kap-Che, 
to  ask  whether  we  would  consent  to  be  their  convoy  for  pro- 
tection against  the  pirates.  Our  captain  having  a  well-armed 
ship,  and  being  an  old  naval  officer,  was  nothing  loath  to  un- 


278  ASIA. 

dertake  the  task.  The  two  passengers  (myself  and  another) 
offering  no  objection,  the  bargain  was  soon  concluded,  and  we 
set  sail.  As  the  old  barque  stood  out  of  the  harbor,  with  her 
eight  clumsy-looking  little  junks  around  her,  she  looked  very 
much  like  a  hen  with  her  chickens.  The  ten  guns  that  peeped 
out  from  her  port-holes,  however,  qualified  her  to  act  the  pro- 
tecting part  of  the  cock  should  occasion  require. 

For  the  first  four  days  of  our  voyage  the  only  enemy  we 
had  to  contend  with  was  the  strong  head-wind,  against  which 
neither  we  nor  our  convoy  could  make  much  progress.  Every 
evening  at  sunset  we  were  obliged,  in  compliance  with  the  tim- 
orous usage  of  Chinese  sailors,  to  come  to  an  anchor  in  some 
bight  or  bay.  To  men  accustomed  to  travel  by  steam,  this 
seemed  slow  work ;  yet  I  did  not  regret  it,  since  it  afforded 
me  opportunities  of  going  ashore  to  visit  several  towns  and 
viQages  on  the  coast,  which  are  rarely  seen  by  Europeans. 
Wretched  enough  these  outlying  villages  looked.  With  their 
mud-built  houses,  their  few  and  dingy  shops,  their  narrow  and 
filthy  streets,  where  fat  pigs  strolled  about,  and  children, 
scarcely  less  fat,  were  their  companions,  they  gave  the  visitor 
no  very  exalted  idea  of  the  so-called  Celestial  Empire.  These 
sea-coast  villages,  however,  mean-looking  as  they  are,  would 
in  less  populous  empires  rank  as  cities.  They  owe  their  ex- 
istence to  the  fisheries,  which  are  so  industriously  prosecuted 
along  the  whole  seaboard  of  China. 

But  to  return  to  our  voyage.  The  wind,  which  for  four 
days  had  so  retarded  our  progress,  on  the  fifth  increased  to 
something  like  a  gale.  Our  poor  junks,  and  our  puissant 
selves,  had  enough  to  do  to  hold  our  own.  In  the  teeth  of  such 
a  gale,  progress  was  out  of  the  question,  and  a  safe  anchorage 
for  the  night  was  the  chief  anxiety.  The  only  safe  anchorage 
which  seemed  at  all  available,  was  that  marked  in  the  charts 
as  Mico  Bay.  To  reach  that  was  the  object  for  which  we  and 
our  junks  now  toiled  hard.  If  we  could  only  get  round  that 
headland,  we  should  be  safe.     But  no !  tack  after  tack  still 


A  NIGHT  AMONG  CHINESE  PIEATES.  279 

found  us  on  the  wrong  side  of  that  bluff  cape  ;  and  at  last  we 
were  forced  to  come  to  anchor  in  a  small  and  exposed  bight 
outside  of  that  Mico  Bay  which  had  been  our  "desired  ha- 
ven." 

While  we  were  dropping  anchor,  the  ship's  carpenter  (a 
Chinaman)  came  up  to  the  captain,  and  with  a  look  of  im- 
portance in  his  face  said,  "  That  no  good  ship,"  pointing  to  a 
strange  junk,  which  was  just  then  crossing  our  bows  ;  "  she  a 
pirate." 

"  Pirate  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  taking  up  his  telescope 
and  surveying  the  junk  indicated.  "  I  see  no  signs  of  piracy 
about  her." 

The  carpenter  walked  off,  evidently  in  a  huff  at  the  little 
importance  attached  to  his  warning ;  and  the  suspected  junk 
dropped  anchor  alongside  of  one  of  our  convoy. 

Night  fell,  and  as  dark  a  night  as  evil-doer  could  wish. 
About  nine  o'clock,  while  I  was  trudging  up  and  down  the 
quarter-deck  with  our  captain,  our  eyes  were  dazzled  by  a 
flash,  followed  instantly  by  the  report  of  a  gun.  We  stood 
still,  looking  rather  than  saying,  "  What  can  be  the  meaning 
of  that?"  Presently  there  came  another  and  another  and 
another  of  these  ominous  sounds.  Our  captain  rushed  off, 
mustered  all  hands,  gave  orders  to  load  all  the  guns,  and  clear 
for  action.  While  this  was  being  done — and  it  was  the  work 
of  a  very  few  minutes — the  firing  was  still  going  on  all  around 
us  ;  though  whether  it  was  directed  against  our  ship  or  others 
we  could  not  tell.  To  find  myself,  peace-loving  man  as  I  am, 
thus  suddenly  surrounded  by  "  war's  alarms,"  was  not  a  little 
astonishing.  Nor  was  my  confidence  restored  when,  on  going 
into  the  cabin,  I  found  the  first  mate  busied  over  the  open 
arm-chest  and  powder  magazine,  handing  out  pistols,  muskets, 
cutlasses,  cartridges,  and  other  death-dealing  articles.  Man 
of  peace  though  I  was  and  am,  I  selected  a  cutlass,  thinking 
that  in  an  emergency  it  would  be  well  to  have  a  weapon  for 
self-defence. 


280  ASIA. 

Thus  armed,  I  regained  the  deck,  and  found  that  the  fir- 
ing, though  less  frequent,  was  still  going  on.  "  Fire  right 
in  amongst  them !  "  was  the  fiery  young  mate's  exhortation 
to  our  old  captain.  "  No,  no,"  replied  the  captain ;  "  when 
we  can  distinguish  friends  from  foes,  we'll  fire ;  but  not  till 
then." 

At  length  the  firing  ceased,  and  darkness  and  silence  re- 
turned. Still  we  retained  the  impression  that  pirates  were 
somewhere  close  upon  us,  and  that  we  must  be  on  the  alert, 
lest,  as  is  their  custom,  they  should  stealthily  approach,  clam- 
ber up  the  ship's  stern,  and  take  us  by  surprise.  All  that 
night  the  matches  were  kept  lit,  the  men  lay  by  their  guns, 
and  the  captain  and  myself  paced  the  deck.  A  weary,  long 
night  it  seemed.  But  day  broke  at  last.  Peering  through  its 
first  gray  light,  we  counted  our  junks  and  found  them  all  there. 
But  where  was  the  stranger  which  the  carpenter  had  pointed 
out  as  a  pirate  ? 

"  There  she  is  !  "  cried  the  mate,  "  hugging  the  shore  and 
making  her  escape  ! " 

The  carpenter  being  called,  was  asked,  "  Is  that  the  junk 
you  pointed  out  last  night  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  quick  reply. 

Several  guns  were  soon  brought  to  bear  on  the  fugitive. 
The,  word  "  Fire ! "  was  given,  and  our  first  shot  skipped 
along  the  waves,  but  fell  short.  The  second  was  not  more 
successful.  The  third  struck,  and  disabled  the  rover  for  a 
time ;  but  she  soon  righted  again,  and  stood  away  beyond 
further  annoyance  from  our  shot. 

The  daylight  being  now  clear,  the  captain  ordered  a  boat 
to  be  lowered,  and  boarded  one  of  our  junks  to  inquire  into- 
the  cause  of  last  night's  uproar.  He  was  told  that  the  junk 
which  had  just  sailed  away  had  attacked  one  of  our  convoy, 
but  had  been  beaten  off*  with  the  loss  of  several  men. 

And  so  ended  our  night  of  anxiety  and  suspense.  But  do 
not  suppose,  dear  reader,  that  my  story  is  ended  ;  for  on  that 


FIJI   AND   THE   FIJIANS.  281 

same  day  we  saw  a  steamer  rounding  that  headland  which  we 
had  labored  so  hard  to  round  and  had  not  been  able.  What 
steamer  she  was,  or  what  was  her  errand  to  Mico  Bay,  we 
knew  not.  On  our  arrival  at  our  destination,  however,  we  as- 
certained that  the  steamer  in  question  was  Her  Majesty's  Ship 
"  Media  ;  "  and  that  her  mission  to  Mico  Bay  was  the  destruc- 
tion of  a  whole  fleet  of  piratical  junks,  a  mission  which  she  most 
effectually  accomplished.  Had  we  succeeded  in  our  efforts  to 
get  into  the  anchorage  of  Mico  Bay,  we  and  our  convoy  would 
probably  have  fallen  a  prey  (though  not  an  easy  prey)  to  the 
piratical  fleet.  Let  this  little  incident  in  my  life  remind  us 
afresh  of  the  watchful  care  and  merciful  dealing  of  God. 


FIJI  AND  THE  FIJIANS. 

The  population  of  the  Fiji  islands  has  been  stated  by  some 
authorities  at  300,000 ;  and  by  Commodore  Wilkes,  of  the 
United  States  Exploring  Expedition,  at  133,500,  which  is 
nearer  the  truth,  though  somewhat  too  low ;  150,000  I  am 
convinced  being  a  truer  estimate.  My  opinion  of  Wilkes's 
computation  is  based  upon  the  following  considerations  ;  Sev- 
eral islands  which  he  states  to  be  uninhabited,  have  a  small 
population ;  and  he  is  wrong  in  giving  sixty-five  as  the  num- 
ber of  inhabited  islands,  eighty  being  the  real  number.  Speak- 
ing of  the  larger  islands,  he  correctly  remarks  that  the  climate 
of  the  mountains  is  unsuited  to  the  taste  and  habits  of  the  na- 
tives ;  but  he  is  not  so  correct  in  confining  the  production  of  their 
food  to  the  low  ground.  The  cocoa-nut  only  is  restricted  to 
the  coast;  yams,  taro,  and  other  esculents,  flourish  several 
hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  and  the  dwellers  on  the  heights 
purchase  fish  of  those  on  the  coast,  or  supply  its  lack  with 
fowls  and  pork.-  His  deduction  therefore  does  not  hold  good, 
that  the  interior  of  the  large  islands  is  thinly  populated ;  that 


282  ASIA. 

there  are  not,  for  instance,  more  than  5,000  inhabitants  in  the 
inland  districts  of  Great  Fiji.  Adding  therefore  to  the  above 
considerations  my  own  personal  observation  and  inquiry,  I 
must  regard  Wilkes's  number  as  too  low,  and  am  persuaded 
that,  whatever  necessity  had  to  do  originally  with  the  selection 
of  the  inland  districts,  the  tribes  dwelling  there  remain  now 
from  choice. 

Nati\fe  tales  about  the  great  size  and  ferocity  of  the  moun- 
taineers, and  of  their  going  naked,  deserve  no  credit;   the 


ONE   OP  THE  PEOPLE. 

chief  difference  between  them  and  the  rest  of  the  people  being 
that  they  bestow  less  care  on  their  persons,  and  are  more 
rustic  in  their  manners.  On  visiting  these  highlanders,  I 
always  found  them  friendly,  nor  do  I  remember  that  they  ever 
used  me  imkindly,  though  their  opportunities  of  doing  so  were 
many. 

The  natives  of  the  group  are  generally  above  the  middle 
height,  well  made,  and  of  great  variety  of  figure.  They  ex- 
ceed the  white  race  in  average  stature,  but  are  below  the  Ton- 
gans.  Men  above  six  feet  are  often  seen,  but  rarely  so  tall  as 
six  feet  six  inches.     I  know  only  one  reliable  case  of  a  Fijian 


FIJI  AND  THE   FIJIANS.  283 

giant.  Corpluent  persons  are  not  common,  but  large,  power- 
ful, muscular  men  abound.  Their  mould  is  decidedly  Euro- 
pean, and  their  lower  extremities  of  the  proportion  generally 
found  among  white  people,  though  sometimes  narrower 
across  the  loins.  Most  have  broad  chests  and  strong,  sinewy 
arms,  and  the  prevailing  stoutness  of  limb  a^nd  shortness  of 
neck  is  at  once  conspicuous.  The  head  is  often  covered  by  a 
mass  of  black  hair,  long>  frizzled,  and  bushy,  sometimes  en- 
croaching on  the  forehead,  and  joined  by  whiskers  to  a  thick, 
round,  or  pointed  beard,  to  which  moustaches  are  often  added. 
The  outline  of  the  face  is  a  good  oval ;  the  mouth  large,  with 
white  and  regular  teeth  ;  the  nose  well  shaped,  with  full  nos- 
trils, yet  distinct  from  the  negro  type ;  the  eyes  are  black, 
quick,  and  restlessly  observant.  Dr.  Pickering,  of  the  United 
States  Exploring  Expedition,  observes  concerning  the  Fijian 
countenance,  that  it  was  "  often  grave  and  peculiarly  expres- 
sive." 

Thakombau,  the  chief  known  as  "  King  of  Fiji,"  is  thus 
described  by  an  American  gentleman :  "  He  is  extremely 
good-looking,  being  tall,  well  made,  and  athletic.  He  exhibits 
much  intelligence  both  in  his  expression  of  countenance  and 
manners.  His  features  and  figure  resemble  those  of  a  Euro- 
pean, and  he  is  graceful  and  easy  in  his  carriage."  This 
opinion  agrees  with  Captain  Erskine's  description  of  the  same 
chief.  He  says,  "  It  was  impossible  not  to  admire  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  chief:  of  large,  almost  gigantic  size,  his  limbs 
were  beautifully  formed  and  proportioned ;  his  countenance, 
with  far  less  of  the  Negro  cast  than  among  the  lower  orders, 
agreeable  and  intelligent ;  while  his  immense  head  of  hair, 
covered  and  concealed  with  gauze,  smoke-dried  and  slightly 
tinged  with  brown,  gave  him  altogether  the  appearance  of  an 
Eastern  Sultan.  No  garments  confined  his  magnificent  chest 
and  neck,  or  concealed  the  natural  color  of  the  skin,  a  clear 
but  decided  black  ;  and  in  spite  of  this  paucity  of  attire — the 
evident  wealth  which  surrounded  him  showing  that  it  was  a 


284 


ASIA. 


matter  of  choice  and  not  of  necessity — ^he  looked  '  every  inch 
a  king.' "  These  descriptions  will  apply  to  many  of  the  Fijian 
dignitaries ;  and  the  difference  between  chiefs  and  people  is 
not  so  marked  as  in  some  groups  :  the  lower  ranks  have  nei- 
ther the  sleek  skin  nor  portly  mien  of  their  superiors,  yet  supply 
a  fair  ratio  of  fine  men,  supple  in  joint,  strong  in  limb,  and 
full  of  activity. 


SAVU   FALLS. 


Any  thing  like  a  slight  deeply  offends  a  native,  ^nd  is  not 
soon  forgotten.  Crying  is  a  favorite  method  of  giving  utter- 
ance to  wounded  pride.  If  the  suffering  individual  is  a 
woman,  she  will  sit  down — the  more  public  the  place  the  betr 
ter — she  will  sigh,  sob,  whine,  until  she  gets  a  good  start, 
when  she  will  trust  to  the  strength  of  her  lungs  to  let  every 
one  within  hearing  know  that  one  of  their  species  is  injured. 
A  reflection  on  a  woman's  character,  her  rank,  her  child,  her  do- 
mestic qualifications,  or  any  one  of  a  hundred  other  things. 


FIJI   AND   THE   FIJIANS.  285 

gives  sufficient  occasion  for  a  wearisome  cry.  Nor  is  this 
demonstration  restricted  to  the  sex:  men  adopt  it  also.  I 
once  saw  four  villages  roused,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants 
under  arms,  in  consequence  of  a  man  crying  in  this  style  : 
"  War  !  war !  Will  no  one  kill  me,  that  I  may  join  the  shade 
of  my  father  ?  War  !  war  !  "  This  was  the  cry  which,  one 
clear  day,  sounded  with  singular  distinctness  through  the  air, 
and  drew  many  beside  myself  to  the  top  of  a  hill,  where  we 
found  a  little  Mata  goaded  to  desperation,  because  his  friend, 
without  consulting  him,  had  cut  several  yards  from  some  na- 
tive cloth  which  was  their  joint  property.  To  be  treated  so 
rudely  made  the  little  man  loathe  life  ;  and  hence  the  alarm. 
A  native  of  Mbua  put  together  the  frame  of  a  house,  and  then 
applied  to  his  friends,  in  due  form,  for  help  to  thatch  it.  They 
readily  assented ;  but  in  the  course  of  the  conversation  which 
ensued,  a  remark  was  made  that  touched  the  pride  of  the  ap- 
plicant, who  angrily  resolved  to  make  the  unfinished  house  a 
monument  of  his  high  stomach,  by  leaving  it  to  rot;  as  it 
actually  did,  in  front  of  my  own  dwelling. 

The  Fijian  is  a  great  adept  in  acting  as  vstell  as  telling  an 
untruth.  The  expectation  of  an  order  to  set  about  some  diffi- 
cult job,  often  makes  a  man  wear  his  arm  in  a  sling :  another, 
while  seeming  to  work  with  fearful  exertion,  is  all  the  time 
careful  not  to  strain  a  single  muscle  ;  and  the  appearance  of 
seeking  their  neighbor's  benefit,  while  intent  only  on  their 
own,  is  shown  continually.  It  has  already  been  seen  that  the 
Fijian  can  be  cruelly  deceitful.  Here  is  an  instance  in  which 
foreigners  were  concerned.  Four  seamen  left  Fotuna  for  Fiji 
in  a  canoe  less  than  thirty  feet  in  length.  They  sighted  land 
after  being  one  night  at  sea,  and,  in  a  few  hours,  were  in  com- 
munication with  the  natives  of  Thikombia-i-ra.  One  of  the 
sailors,  having  formerly  lived  in  the  group,  knew  a  little  of  the 
language,  and  went  ashore  to  ask  where  they  were.  A  native, 
who  had  adjusted  his  masi  in  the  style  of  a  lotu  dress,  s^d, 
"  This  is  Somosomo ;  we  are  Christians,  and  I  am  Teacher 


286  ASIA. 

in  this  place."  This  was  pleasant  news  to  the  inquirer ;  but, 
on  looking  round,  he  saw  the  wreck  of  a  boat  on  the  beach, 
and  on  one  of  the  natives  a  pea-jacket  which  had  belonged  to 
a  white  man  who  had  miserably  perished  by  the  hands  of  the 
savages.  Though  his  suspicions  were  thus  aroused,  the  sailor 
preserved  his  self-command,  and  very  composedly  replied, 
"  This  is  good ;  this  is  the  land  I  seek :  I  ■v\t11  return  and 
bring  my  companions  on  shore."  Directly  on  reaching  the 
canoe,  he  announced  their  danger  to  his  comrades,  and  the 
saU  was  immediately  hoisted.  A  native  who  had  laid  hold  on 
the  end  of  the  canoe  was  frightened  off,  by  having  a  rusty 
musket  presented  at  him.  Those  on  shore,  seeing  their  prey 
likely  to  escape,  gave  a  loud  shout,  when  many  more  rushed 
out  from  their  ambush,  and  a  shower  of  bullets  followed  the 
canoe.  Several  passed  through  the  sail ;  but  as  the  savages 
fired  high,  the  little  party  escaped  uninjured,  and  one  of  them 
afterwards  related  the  circumstances  to  me. 

Intense  and  vengeful  malignity  strongly  marks  the  Fijian 
character.  When  a  person  is  offended,  he  seldom  says  any 
thing,  but  places  a  stick  or  stone  in  such  a  position  as  to  re- 
mind him  continually  of  his  grudge,  until  he  has  had  revenge. 
Sometimes  a  man  has  hanging  over  his  bed  the  dress  of  a 
murdered  friend  ;  or  another  will  deprive  himself  of  some  fa- 
vorite or  even  necessary  food ;  while  another  will  forego  the 
pleasures  of  the  dance  ;  all  being  common  ways  of  indicating 
sworn  revenge.  Sometimes  a  man  is  seen  with  the  exact  half 
of  his  head  closely  cropped,  to  which  disfigurement  another 
will  add  a  long  twist  of  hair  hanging  down  the  back  ;  and  thus 
they  will  appear  until  they  have  wreaked  vengeance  on  those 
who  slew  their  wives  while  fishing  on  the  reef.  From  the 
ridge-pole  of  some  chiefs  house,  or  a  temple,  a  roll  of  tobac- 
co is  suspended  ;  and  there  it  must  hang,  until  taken  down  to 
be  smoked  over  the  dead  body  of  some  one  of  a  hated  tribe. 
A  powerful  savage,  of  sober  aspect,  is  seen  keeping  profound 
silence  in  the  village  council.    To  ordinary  inquiries  he  replies 


FUI   AND   THE   FIJIAN8. 


287 


with  a  whistle.     His  son,  the  hero  of  the  village,  fell  by  a 
treacherous  hand,  and  the  father  has  vowed  to  abstain  from 


FIJIAN   CLUBS.      . 


288  ASIA. 

the  pleasures  of  conversatioo,  until  he  opens  his  lips  to  revile 
the  corpse  of  his  son's  murderer,  or  to  bless  the  man  who  de- 
prived it  of  life.  Irritating  songs  are  employed  to  excite  the 
hatred  of  those  who  are  likely  to  let  their  vengeance  sleep. 
The  youths  of  the  place  assemble  before  the  house,  and,  lele- 
taJca,  or  lament,  that  none  revenge  the  death  of  their  friend. 
The  effect  of  such  a  song,  framed  so  as  to  appeal  to  the  most 
sensitive  points  of  the  Fijian's  nature,  is  to  awaken  the  malice 
and  fury  of  those  to  whom  it  is  addressed  with  all  their  origi- 
nal force,  and  vows  of  bloody  retribution  are  made  afresh. 

The  natives  usually  take  two  meals  in  the  day ;  the  princi- 
pal one  being  in  the  afternoon  or  evening.  Where  ovens  are 
chiefly  used,  they  cook  but  once  a  day,  but  twice  where  boil- 
ing is  most  in  vogue.  Their  general  food  is  light  and  plain, 
fish  being  highly  esteemed.  Contrary  to  the  taste  of  civilized 
gormands,  these  people  will  have  all  their  meat  quite  fresh, 
and  some  small  kinds  of  fish  are  eaten  alive  as  a  relish.  The 
Fijian  bill  of  fare  for  usual  consumption  is  somewhat  lengthy, 
and  contains  many  different  vegetables,  and  shell  and  other  fish 
in  perhaps  unequalled  variety.  Almost  every  thing  found  liv- 
ing on  the  sea-reef,  whether  molluscous,  articulate,  or  radiate, 
is  eaten  and  enjoyed.  To  these  are  added  a  dozen  vari^ies  of 
bread,  nearly  thirty  kinds  of  puddings,  and  twelve  sorts  of 
broths  or  soups,  including — though  the  distinctions  calipash 
and  calipee  are  unknown — turtle-soup.  Several  kinds  of  warm 
infusions  are  made  from  aromatic  grasses  and  leaves.  These, 
however,  they  sometimes  macerate,  and  eat  with  the  liquid  in 
which  they  are  prepared.  Some  of  the  native  dishes  recom 
mend  themselves  at  once  to  European  taste,  and  some 
strongly  remind  the  English  visitor  of  what  he  has  been  ac- 
customed to  see  at  home.  A  rich  sort  of  gruel  is  made  from 
the  milk  and  pulp  of  the  young  cocoa-nut.  Shrimps  are  used 
to  make  an  elegant  and  delicious  sandwich,  being  arranged 
between  two  thicknesses  of  taro  leaves.  Fish  is  sometimes 
served  up  with  a  relishing  sauce  ;  and  sweet  sauces  are  made 


FIJI  AND   THE   FIJIANS.  289 

for  the  richer  sorts  of  pudding  by  expressing  the  juices  of  the 
nut,  the  ti-root,  and  the  sugar-cane.  Roasting  and  frying  are 
added  to  the  other  methods  of  cookery. 

The  refreshing  milk  of  the  nut  is  much  used  by  the  Fijian  ; 
but  his  general  beverage  is  water.  In  drinking  without  a  cup, 
the  head  is  thrown  back  with  the  mouth  opened,  the  water- 
vessel  held  several  inches  above  the  lips,  and  a  stream  allowed 
to  run  down  the  throat — a  process  whereby  a  novice  is  more' 
likely  to  be  choked  than  refreshed.  This  method  of  drinking 
is  adopted  to  avoid  touching  the  vessel  with  their  lips — a  prac- 


FIJIAN  POTTERY. 


tice  to  which  they  strongly  object.  To  drink  from  the  long 
bamboos  sometimes  used  is  no  easy  task.  These  vessels  are 
from  two  to  ten  feet  long.  One  of  the  longest  will  hold  two 
gallons ;  and  to  slake  one's  thirst  from  its  open  end,  while  a 
native  gradually  elevates  the  other,  requires  care,  or  a  cold 
bath  will  be  the  unsought  result. 

Very  few  Fijians  drink  to  excess;    the  intemperate  are 
easily  distinguished  by  their  inflamed  eyes  and  a  scaly  appear- 
ance of  the  skin.     By  one  or  two  ordinary  draughts  a  stupor 
is  produced,  from  which  the  drinker  manifests  an  unwilling- 
13 


290 


ASIA. 


ness  to  be  aroused.  The  yaqonarring  is  often  the  prelude  to 
a  feast,  for  which,  when  on  a  large  scale,  preparations  com- 
mence months  beforehand.  Yams  and  taro  are  planted  with 
special  reference  to  it,  a  tahu  is  put  upon  pigs  and  nuts,  and  the 
turtle-fishers  are  sent  to  set  their  nets.  As  the  time  approach- 
es, messengers  are  sent  far  and  ne^ar  to  announce  the  day  ap- 


HEAD  OF   CHIEF  IN  FULL   DRESS. 


pointed.  This  announcement,  which  is  a  respectful  way  of 
inviting  the  guests,  is  made  to  the  several  chiefs,  and  through 
them  to  their  people.  The  invitations  are  liberal,  including  all 
the  male  population  of  the  town  or  district  to  which  the  Mata 
is  sent. 


FIJI   AND   THE   FIJTANS. 


291 


In  their  dress,  scanty  as  it,  the  Fijians  display  great  care 
and  pride.  In  judging  of  this  matter,  it  is  very  difficult  for  a 
civilized  stranger  to  form  a  right  opinion,  influenced,  as  he 
must  be,  by  the  conventionalities  of  costume  to  which  he  is 
accustomed.  Hence  the  natives  are  frequently  spoken  of  as 
naked;    but  they  only  seem  so  when  compared  with  other 


HEAD   OF   CHIEF   IN   FULL   DRESS. 


nations.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  character  of  the 
climate  and  the  quality  of  their  skin  both  render  dress,  as  far 
as  mere  utility  is  concerned,  unnecessary :  the  people,  there- 
fore, ought  to  receive  full  credit  for  modesty  in  the  partial 
covering  which  they  adopt,  and  about  the  use  of  which  they 


292  ASIA. 

are  scrupulously  particular.  Vanity  adds  ornament  to  the  sim- 
ple dress,  and  decorates  or  defaces,  according  to  the  prevailing 
custom,  different  parts  of  the  body. 

The  dress  of  the  men  is  a  kind  of  sash  of  white,  brov^n,  or 
figured  masi,  varying  in  length  from  three  to  a  hundred  yards. 
Six  or  ten  yards,  however,  is  the  usual  measure.  This  sash 
is  passed  between  the  legs,  and  wound  two  or  three  times 
round  the  loins,  securing  one  end  in  front,  so  as  to  fall  over  to 
the  knees  like  a  curtain  ;  the  end  behind  is  fastened  in  a  bunch, 
or  left  to  trail  on  the  ground.  When  a  chief  is  dressed  in 
style,  a  few  folds  are  taken  higher  up  round  his  body,  like  a 
sword  belt,  and  both  ends  of  the  sash  form  long  trains. 

The  women  are  not  allowed  to  use  masi,  but  wear  the  Uku, 
or  fringed  band,  which  has  been  already  described.  It  is  tied 
on  the  right  side  with  bass,  which,  on  high  days,  is  long 
enough  to  form  a  train. 

The  turban,  consisting  of  a  gauze-like  scarf  of  very  fine 
white  mas%  from  four  to  six  feet  long,  is  worn  by  all  Fijians 
who  can  lay  claim  to  respectibility,  except  such  as  are  forbid- 
den its  use.  The  apparent  size  is  entirely  regulated  by  the 
quantity  of  hair  underneath,  which  is  generally  considerable. 
This  head-dress  may  be  fastened  by  a  neat  bow  in  front,  or 
tied  in  a  tassel-knot  on  the  top  of  the  head,  or  arranged  so  as 
to  hang  in  lappets  on  one  side.  By  some  it  is  worn  as  a  band 
or  cord  at  the  root  of  the  hair,  the  greater  part  being  allowed 
to  fall  down  the  back.  In  most  cases  it  is  ornamental  and 
graceful. 

Genuine  tattooing  is  only  found  on  the  women ;  but  not 
much  of  it  is  seen,  as  it  is  covered  by  the  liJcu.  Young  women 
have  barbed  lines  on  their  hands  and  fingers  ;  and  the  middle- 
aged,  patches  of  blue  at  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  The  cus- 
tom of  tattooing  is  said  to  be  in  conformity  with  the  appoint- 
ment of  Ndengei,  and  its  neglect  punished  after  death.  The 
native  name  is  qia,  and,  as  it  is  confined  to  women,  so  the  op- 
erators are  always  of  the  same  sex.     An  instrument  called  a 


FIJI   AND   THE   FIJIANS. 


•293 


"  tooth,"  consisting  of  four  or  five  fine  bone  teeth  fixed  to  a 
light  handle  six  inches  long,  is  dipped  in  a  pigment  made  of 
charcoal  and  candle-nut  oil ;  the  pattern  having  been  previous- 
ly marked  on  the  body,  the  lines  are  rendered  permanent  by 
the  blackened  comb,  which  is  driven  through  the  skin  in  the 
same  manner  as  a  fleam,  though  with  less  violence.     Months 


SLEEPING   BURES. 


are  often  occupied  in  the  process,  which  is  painful,  and  only 
submitted  to  from  motives  of  pride  and  fear.  Feasts  are  held 
also  in  connection  with  this.  The  command  of  the  god  affects 
but  one  part  of  the  body,  and  the  fingers  are  only  marked  to 
excite  the  admiration  of  the  chief,  who  sees  them  in  the  act 
of  presenting  his  food.  The  spots  at  the  corners  of  the  mouth 
notify,  on  some  islands,  that  the  woman  has  borne  children, 
but  oftener  are  for  the  concealment  of  the  wrinkles  of  age. 


294  ASIA. 


DISCOVERIES  IN  NINEVEH. 

On  my  return  to  Mosul,  says  Mr.  Layard,  I  found  Ismail 
Pasha  installed  in  the  government.  He  received  me  with 
courtesy,  offered  no  opposition  to  the  continuation  of  my  re- 
searches at  Nimroud,  and  directed  the  irregular  troops  sta- 
tioned at  Selamiyah  to  afford  me  every  assistance  and  protec- 
tion. The  change  since  my  departure  had  been  as  sudden  as 
great.  A  few  conciliatory  acts  on  the  part  of  the  new  Gov- 
ernor, an  order  from  the  Porte  for  an  inquiry  into  the  sums 
unjustly  levied  by  the  late  Pasha,  with  a  view  to  their  repay- 
ment, and  a  promise  of  a  diminution  of  taxes,  had  so  far  reas- 
sured and  gained  the  confidence  of  those  who  had  fled  to  the 
mountains  and  the  desert,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages 
were  slowly  returning  to  their  homes ;  and  even  the  Arab 
tribes,  which  were  formerly  accustomed  to  pasture  their  flocks 
in  the  districts  of  Mosul,  were  again  pitching  their  tents  on 
the  banks  of  the  Tigris.  The  diminished  population  of  the 
province  had  been  so  completely  discouraged  by  the  repeated 
extortions  of  Keritli  Oglu,  that  the  fields  had  been  left  untilled. 
The  villagers  were  now  actively  engaged,  although  the  season 
was  already  far  advanced,  in  sowing  grain  of  various  kinds. 
The  palace  was  filled  with  Kurdish  chiefs  and  Arab  Sheikhs, 
who  had  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  new  Pasha  to  visit  the 
town,  and  were  seeking  investiture  as  heads  of  their  respec- 
tive tribes.  The  people  of  Mosul  were  looking  forward  to  an 
equal  taxation,  and  the  abolition  of  the  system  of  torture  and 
arbitrary  exactions,  which  had  hitherto  been  adopted  by  their 
governors. 

During  my  absence  my  agents  had  not  been  inactive. 
Several  trenches  had  been  opened  in  the  great  mound  of  Baa- 
sheikha  ;  and  fragments  of  sculpture  and  inscriptions,  with 
much  entire  pottery  and  inscribed  bricks,  had  been  discovered 
there.     At  Karamles  a  platform  of  brickwork  had  been  uncov- 


DISCOVERIES   m   NINEVEH.  295 

ered,  and  the  Assyrian  origin  of  the  ruin  was  proved  by  the 
inscription  on  the  bricks,  which  contained  the  name  of  the 
Khorsabad  king. 

I  rode  to  Nimroud  on  the  17th  of  January,  having  first  en- 
gaged a  party  of  Nestorian  Chaldaeans  to  accompany  me. 

The  change  that  had  taken  place  in  the  face  of  the  country 
during  my  absence,  was  no  less  remarkable  than  that  which  I 
had  found  in  the  political  state  of  the  province.  To  me  they 
were  both  equally  agreeable  and  welcome.  The  rains,  which 
had  fallen  almost  incessantly  from  the  day  of  my  departure 
for  Baghdad,  had  rapidly  brought  forward  the  vegetation  of 
spring.  The  mound  was  no  longer  an  arid  and  barren  heap  ; 
its  surface  and  its  sides  were  equally  covered  with  verdure. 
From  the  summit  of  the  pyramid  my  eye  ranged,  on  one  side, 
over  a  broad  level  inclosed  by  the  Tigris  and  the  Zab  ;  on  the 
other,  over  a  low  undulating  country  bounded  by  the  snow- 
capped mountains  of  Kurdistan;  but  it  was  no  longer  the 
dreary  waste  I  had  left  a  month  before ;  the  landscape  was 
clothed  in  green,  the  black  tents  of  the  Arabs  checkered  the 
plain  of  Nimroud,  and  their  numerous  flocks  pastured  on  the 
distant  hills.  The  Abou  Salman,  encouraged  by  favorable  re- 
ports of  the  policy  of  the  new  Pasha,  had  recrossed  the  Zab, 
and  had  sought  their  old  encamping  grounds.  The  Jehesh  and 
Shemutti  Arabs  had  returned  to  their  villages,  around  which 
the  wandering  Jebours  had  pitched  their  tents,  and  were  now 
engaged  in  cultivating  the  soil.  Even  on  the  mound  the 
plough  opened  its  furrows,  and  corn  was  sown  over  the  pal- 
aces of  the  Assyrian  kings. 

Security  had  been  restored,  and  Nimroud  offered  a  more 
convenient  and  more  agreeable  residence  than  Selamiyah. 
Hiring,  therefore,  from  the  owners  three  huts,  which  had  been 
hastily  built  in  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  I  removed  to  my 
new  dwelling-place.  A  few  rude  chairs,  a  table,  and  a  wooden 
bedstead,  formed  the  whole  of  my  furniture.  My  Cawass 
spread  his  carpet,  and  hung  his  tobacco-pouch  in  the  corner 


296 


ASIA. 


of  a  hovel,  wliich  he  had  appropriated,  and  spent  his  days  in 
peaceful  contemplation.  The  servants  constructed  a  rude 
kitchen,  and  the  grooms  shared  the  stalls  with  the  horses, 
Mr.  Hormuzd  Rassam,  the  brother  of  the  British  Vice-Consul, 
came  to  reside  with  me,  and  undertook  the  daily  payment  of 
the  workmen  and  the  domestic  arrangements. 

My  agent,  with  the  assistance  of  the  chief  of  the  Hytas, 
had  punctually  fulfilled  the  instructions  he  had  received  on  my 
departure.  Not  only  were  the  counterfeit  graves  carefully 
removed,  but  even  others,  which  possessed  more  claim  to  re- 
spect, had  been  rooted  out.  I  entered  into  an  elaborate  argu- 
ment with  the  Arabs  on  the  subject  of  the  latter,  and  proved 
to  them  that,  as  the  bodies  were  not  turned  toward  Mecca, 
they  could  not  be  those  of  true  believers.  I  ordered  the  re-  . 
mains,  however,  to  be  carefully  collected,  and  to  be  reburied 
at  the  foot  of  the  mound. 

I  had  scarcely  resumed  my  labors  when  I  received  infor- 
mation that  the  Cadi  of  Mosul  was  endeavoring  to  stir  up  the 
people  against  me,  chiefly  on  the  plea  that  I  was  carrying 
away  treasure ;  and,  what  was  worse,  finding  inscriptions 
which  proved  that  the  Franks  once  held  the  country,  and 
upon  the  evidence  of  which  they  intended  immediately  to  re- 
sume possession  of  it,  exterminating  all  true  believers.  These 
stories,  however  absurd  they  may  appear,  rapidly  gained 
ground  in  the  town.  Old  Mohammed  Emin  Pasha  brought 
out  his  Yakuti,  and  confirmed,  by  that  geographer's  statements 
with  regard  to  Khorsabad,  the  allegations  of  the  Cadi.  A 
representation  was  ultimately  made  by  the  Ulema  to  Ismail 
Pasha  ;  and  as  he  expressed  a  wish  to  see  me,  I  rode  to  Mo- 
sul. He  was  not,  he  said,  influenced  by  the  Cadi  or  the  Mufti, 
nor  did  Ite  believe  the  absurd  tales  which  they  had  spread 
abroad.  I  should  shortly  see  how  he  intended  to  treat  these 
troublesome  fellows,  but  he  thought  it  prudent  at  present  to 
humor  them,  and  made  it  a  personal  request  that  I  would,  for 
the  time,  suspend  the  excavations.     I  consented  with  regret ; 


DISC0VEEIE8   m   NINEYEH.  297 

and  once  more  returned  to  Nimroud  without  being  able  to 
gratify  the  ardent  curiosity  I  felt  to  explore  further  the  ex- 
traordinary building,  the  nature  of  which  was  still  a  mystery 
to  me. 

The  Abou  Salman  Arabs,  who  encamp  around  Nimroud, 
are  known  for  their  thieving  propensities,  and  might  have 
caused  me  some  annoyance.  Thinking  it  prudent,  therefore, 
to  conciliate  their  chief,  I  rode  over  one  morning  to  their 
principal  encampment.  Sheikh  Abd-ur-rahman  received  me 
at  the  entrance  of  his  capacious  tent  of  black  goat-hair,  which 
was  crowded  with  his  relations,  followers,  and  strangers,  who 
were  enjoying  his  hospitality.  He  was  one  of  the  handsomest 
Arabs  I  ever  saw ;  tall,  robust,  and  well-made,  with  a  counte- 
nance in  which  intelligence  was  no  less  marked  than  courage 
and  resolution.  On  his  head  he  wore  a  turban  of  dark  linen, 
from  under  which  a  many-colored  handkerchief  fell  over  his 
shoulders ;  his  dress  was  a  simple  white  shirt,  descending  to 
the  ankles,  and  an  Arab  cloak  thrown  loosely  over  it.  Unlike 
Arabs  in  general,  he  had  shaved  his  beard ;  and,  although  he 
could  scarcely  be  much  beyond  forty,  I  observed  that  the  little 
hair  which  could  be  distinguished  from  under  his  turban  was 
gray.  He  received  me  with  every  demonstration  of  hospitali- 
ty, and  led  me  to  the  upper  place,  divided  by  a  goat-hair  cur- 
tain from  the  harem.  The  tent  was  capacious ;  half  was 
appropriated  by  the  women,  the  rest  formed  the  place  of  recep- 
tion, and  was  at  the  same  time  occupied  by  two  favorite  mares 
and  a  colt.  A  few  camels  were  kneeling  on  the  grass  around, 
and  the  horses  of  the  strangers  were  tied  by  the  halter  to  the 
tent-pins.  From  the  carpets  and  cushions,  which  were  spread 
for  me,  stretched  on  both  sides  a  long  line  of  men  of  the  most 
motley  appearance,  seated  on  the  bare  ground.  The  Sheikh 
himself,  as  is  the  custom  in  some  of  the  tribes,  to  show  his 
respect  for  his  guest,  placed  himself  at  the  furthest  end ;  and 
could  only  be  prevailed  upon,  after  many  excuses  and  protesta- 
tions, to  share  the  carpet  with  me.  In  the  centre  of  the  group, 
13* 


298   "  ASIA. 

near  a  small  fire  of  camel's  dung,  crouched  a  half-naked  Arab, 
engaged  alternately  in  blowing  up  the  expiring  embers,  or 
pounding  the  roasted  coffee  in  a  copper  mortar,  ready  to  re- 
plenish the  huge  pots  which  stood  near  him. 

After  the  customary  compliments  had  been  exchanged  with 
all  around,  one  of  my  attendants  beckoned  to  the  Sheikh,  who 
left  the  tent  to  receive  the  presents  I  had  brought  to  him — a 
silk  gown  and  a  supply  of  coifee  and  sugar.  He  dressed  him- 
self in  his  new  attire  and  returned  to  the  assembly.  "  Inshal- 
lah,"  said  I,  "we  are  now  friends,  although  scarcely  a  month 
ago  you  came  over  the  Zab  on  purpose  to  appropriate  the  little 
property  I  am  accustomed  to  carry  about  me."  "WaUan, 
Bey,"  he  replied,  "  you  say  true,  we  are  friends  ;  but  listen  : 
the  Arabs  either  sit  down  and  serve  his  Majesty  the  Sultan,  or 
they  eat  from  others,  as  others  would  eat  from  them.  Now 
my  tribe  are  of  the  Zobeide,  and  were  brought  here  many 
years  ago  by  the  Pashas  of  the  Abd-el-Jelleel.*  These  lands 
were  given  us  in  return  for  the  services  we  rendered  the 
Turks  in  keeping  back  the  Tai  and  the  Shammar,  who  crossed 
the  rivers  to  plunder  the  villages.  All  the  great  men  of  the 
Abou  Salman  perished  in  encounters  with  the  Bedouin,  and 
Injeh  Bairakdar,  Mohammed  Pasha,  upon  whom  God  has  had 
mercy,  acknowledged  our  fidelity  and  treated  us  with  honor. 
When  that  blind  dog,  the  son  of  the  Cretan,  may  curses  fall 
upon  him  !  came  to  Mosul,  I  waited  upon  him,  as  it  is  usual 
for  the  Sheikh  ;  what  did  he  do  ?  Did  he  give  me  the  cloak 
of  honor  ?  No  ;  he  put  me,  an  Arab  of  the  tribe  of  Zobeide, 
a  tribe  which  had  fought  with  the  Prophet,  into  the  public 
stocks.  For  forty  days  my  heart  melted  away  in  a  damp  cell, 
and  I  was  exposed  to  every  variety  of  torture.  Look  at  these 
hairs,"  continued  he,  lifting  up  his  turban  ;  "they  turned  white 
in  that  time,  and  I  must  now  shave  my  beard,  a  shame 
amongst  the  Arabs.     I  was  released  at  last ;  but  how  did  I  re- 

*  The  former  hereditary  governors  of  Mosul. 


DISCOVEEIES   IN  NINEVEH.  299 

turn  to  the  tribe  ? — a  beggar,  unable  to  kill  a  sheep  for  my 
guests.  He  took  my  mares,  my  flocks,  and  my  camels,  as  the 
price  of  my  liberty.  Now  tell  me,  O  Bey,  in  the  name  of  God, 
if  the  Osmanlis  have  eaten  from  me  and  my  guests,  shall  I  not 
eat  from  them  and  theirs  ?  " 

The  fate  of  Abd-ur-rahman  had  been  such  as  he  described 
it ;  and  so  had  fared  several  chiefs  of  the  desert  and  of  the 
mountains.  It  was  not  surprising  that  these  men,  proud  of 
their  origin  and  accustomed  to  the  independence  of  a  wander- 
ing life,  had  revenged  themselves  upon  the  unfortunate  inhabi- 
tants of  the  villages,  who  had  no  less  cause  to  complain  than 
themselves.  However,  the  Sheikh  promised  to  abstain  from 
plunder  for  the  future,  and  to  present  himself  to  Ismail 
Pasha,  of  whose  conciliatory  conduct  he  had  already  heard. 

It  was  near  the  middle  of  February  before  I  thought  it 
prudent  to  make  some  fresh  experiments  among  the  ruins. 
To  avoid  notice  I  only  employed  a  few  men,  and  confined  my- 
self to  the  examination  of  such  parts  of  the  mound  as  appear- 
ed to  contain  buildings.  All  the  slabs  were  sculptured,  and 
uninjured  by  fire  ;  but  unfortunately  had  been  half  destroyed 
by  long  exposure  to  the  atmosphere.  Three  consecutive  slabs 
were  occupied  by  the  same  subject ;  others  were  placed  with- 
out regularity,  portions  of  a  figure,  which  should  have  been 
continued  on  an  adjoining  stone,  being  wanted.  It  was  evi- 
dent from  the  costume,  the  ornaments,  and  the  nature  of  the 
relief,  that  these  sculptures  did  not  belong  either  to  the  same 
building,  or  to  the  same  period  as  those  previously  discovered. 
I  recognized  in  them  the  style  of  Khorsabad,  and  in  the  in- 
scriptions particular  forms  in  the  character,  which  were  used 
in  the  inscriptions  of  that  monument.  Still  the  slabs  were 
not  "  in  situ  ; "  they  had  been  brought  from  elsewhere,  and  I 
was  even  more  perplexed  than  I  had  hitherto  been. 

The  most  perfect  of  the  bas-reliefs  was  in  many  respects 
interesting.  It  represented  a  king,  distinguished  by  his  high 
conical  tiara,  standing  over  a  prostrate  warrior ;    his  right 


300  ASIA. 

hand  elevated,  and  the  left  supported  by  a  bow.  The  figure  at 
his  feet,  probably  a  captive  enemy  or  rebel,  wore  a  pointed 
cap,  somewhat  similar  in  form  to  that  already  described.  I 
was,  from  this  -circumstance,  at  first  inclined  to  believe  that 
the  sculpture  represented  the  conquest  of  the  original  founders 
of  Nimroud,  by  a  new  race — ^perhaps  the  overthrow  of  the 
first  by  the  second  Assyrian  dynasty ;  but  I  was  subsequently 
led  to  abandon  the  conjecture.  An  eunuch  holds  a  fly-flapper 
or  fan  over  the  head  of  the  king,  who  appears  to  be  convers- 
ing or  performing  some  ceremony  with  a  figure  standing  in 
front  of  him ;  probably  his  vizier  or  minister.  Behind  this 
personage,  who  differs  from  the  king  by  his  head-dress — a 
simple  fillet  round  the  temple — are  two  attendants,  the  first 
an  eunuch,  the  second  a  bearded  figure,  half  of  which  was  con- 
tinued on  the  adjoining  slab.  This  bas-relief  was  separated 
from  a  second  above,  by  a  band  of  inscriptions,  the  upper 
sculpture  was  almost  totally  destroyed,  and  I  could  with  diffi- 
culty trace  upon  it  the  forms  of  horses  and  horsemen.  A 
wounded  figure  beneath  the  horses  wore  a  helmet  with  a 
curved  crest,  resembling  the  Greek.  These  two  subjects  were 
continued  on  either  side,  but  the  slabs  were  broken  off"  near 
the  bottom,  and  the  feet  of  a  row  of  figures,  probably  other 
attendants,  standing  behind  the  king  and  his  minister  could 
only  be  distinguished. 

Another  slab  in  this  wall  was  occupied,  with  the  exception 
of  the  prisoner,  by  figures  resembling  those  on  the  slab  just 
described.  The  king,  however,  holds  his  bow  horizontally, 
and  his  attendant  eunuch'  is  carrying  his  arms,  a  second  bow, 
the  mace,  and  a  quiver.  All  these  figures  are  about  three 
feet  eight  inches  in  height,  the  dimensions  of  those  before  dis- 
covered being  somewhat  smaller. 

The  rest  of  the  wall,  which  had  completely  disappeared  in 
some  places,  was  composed  of  gigantic  winged  figures,  sculp- 
tured in  low  relief.  They  were  found  to  be  almost  entirely 
defaced. 


DISC0VEEIE8   EST   NINEVEH.  301 

These  experiments  were  sufficient  to  prove  that  the  build- 
ing I  was  exploring  had  not  been  entirely  destroyed  by  fire, 
but  had  been  partly  exposed  to  gradual  decay.  No  sculptures 
had  hitherto  been  discovered  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation, 
and  only  one  or  two  could  bear  removal.  I  determined,  there- 
fore, to  abandon  this  corner,  and  to  resume  excavations  near 
the  chamber  first  opened,  where  the  slabs  had  in  no  way 
been  injured.  The  workmen  were  directed  to  dig  behind  the 
small  lions,  which  appeared  to  form  an  entrance,  and  to  be 
connected  with  other  walls.  After  removing  much  earth,  a 
few  unsculptured  slabs  were  discovered,  fallen  from  their 
places,  and  broken  in  many  pieces.  The  sides  of  the  room 
of  which  they  had  originally  formed  a  part  could  not  be 
traced. 

As  these  ruins  occurred  on  the  edge  of  the  mound,  it  was 
probable  that  they  had  been  more  exposed  than  the  rest,  and 
consequently  had  sustained  more  injury  than  other  parts  of 
the  building.  As  there  was  a  ravine  running  far  into  the 
mound,  apparently  formed  by  the  winter  rains,  I  determined 
to  open  a  trench  in  the  centre  of  it.  In  two  days  the  work- 
men reached  the  top  of  a  slab,  which  appeared  to  be  both  well 
preserved,  and  to  be  still  standing  in  its  original  position.  On 
the  south  side  I  discovered,  to  my  great  satisfaction,  two 
human  figures,  considerably  above  the  natural  size,  sculptured 
in  low  relief,  and  still  exhibiting  all  the  freshness  of  a  recent 
work.  In  a  few  hours  the  earth  and  rubbish  had  been  com- 
pletely removed  from  the  face  of  the  slab,  no  part  of  which  had 
been  injured.  The  ornaments  delicately  graven  on  the  robes, 
the  tassels  and  fringes,  the  bracelets  and  armlets,  the  elaborate 
curls  of  the  hair  and  beard,  were  all  entire.  The  figures  were 
back  to  back,  and  furnished  with  wings.  They  appeared  to 
represent  divinities,  presiding  over  the  seasons,  or  over  partic- 
ular religious  ceremonies.  The  one,  whose  face  was  turned 
to  the  East,  carried  a  fallow  deer  on  his  right  arm,  and  in  his 
left  hand  a  branch  bearing  five  flowers.     Around  his  temples 


302 


ASIA. 


was  a  fillet,  adorned  in  front  with  a  rosette.  The  other  held 
a  square  vessel,  or  basket,  in  the  left  hand,  and  an  object  re- 
sembling a  fir  cone  in  the  right.     On  his  head  he   wore   a 


EAGLE-HKADED  FIGURE.    (N.  W.  ialace,  Nimroud.) 


rounded  cap,  at  the  base  of  which  was  a  horn.     The  garments 
of  both,  consisting  of  a  stole  falling  from  the  shoulders  to  the 


DISCOVEEIES   IN  NINEVEH.  303 

ankles,  and  a  short  tunic  underneath,  descending  to  the  knee, 
were  richly  and  tastefully  decorated  with  embroideries  and 
fringes,  whilst  the  hair  and  beard  were  arranged  with  study 
and  art.  Although  the  relief  was  lower,  yet  the  outline  was 
perhaps  more  careful,  and  true,  than  that  of  the  Assyrian 
sculptures  of  Khorsabad.  The  limbs  were  delineated  with 
peculiar  accuracy,  and  the  muscles  and  bones  faithfully,  though 
somewhat  too  strongly,  marked.  An  inscription  ran  across 
the  sculpture. 

To  the  west  of  this  slab,  and  fitting  to  it,  was  a  corner- 
stone ornamented  with  flowers  and  scroll-work,  tastefully  ar- 
ranged, and  resembling  in  detail  those  graven  on  the  injured 
tablet,  near  the  entrance  of  the  S.  W.  building.  I  recognized 
at  once  from  whence  many  of  the  sculptures,  employed  in  the 
construction  of  that  edifice,  had  been  brought ;  and  it  was 
evident  that  I  had  at  length  discovered  the  earliest  palace  of 
Nimroud. 

The  corner-stone  led  me  to  a  figure  of  singular  form.  A 
human  body,  clothed  in  robes  similar  to  those  of  the  winged 
men  on  the  previous  slab,  was  surmounted  by  the  head  of  an 
eagle  or  of  a  vulture.*  The  curved  beak,  of  considerable 
length,  was  half  open,  and  displayed  a  narrow  pointed  tongue, 
which  was  still  covered  with  red  paint.  On  the  shoulders  fell 
the  usual  curled  and  bushy  hair  of  the  Assyrian  mages,  and  a 
comb  of  feathers  rose  on  the  top  of  the  head.  Two  wings 
sprang  from  the  back,  and  in  either  hand  was  the  square  ves- 
sel and  fir  cone. 

On  all  these  figures  paint  could  be  faintly  distinguished, 
particularly  on  the  hair,  beard,  eyes,  and  sandals.     The  slabs 
on  which  they  were  sculptured  had  sustained  no  injury,  and, 
could  be  without  difiiculty  packed  and  moved  to  any  distance. 
There  could  no  longer  be  any  doubt  that  they  formed  part  of  a 


*  It  has  been  suggested  that  this  is  the  head  of  a  cock,  but  it  is  unques- 
tionably that  of  a  carnivorous  bird  of  the  eagle  tribe. 


304  ASIA. 

chamber,  and  that,  to  explore  it  completely,  I  had  only  to  con- 
tinue along  the  wall,  now  partly  uncovered. 

On  the  morning  following  these  discoveries,  I  rode  to  the 
encampment  of  Sheikh  Abd-ur-rahman,  and  was  returning  to 
the  mound,  when  I  saw  two  Arabs  of  his  tribe  urging  their 
mares  to  the  top  of  their  speed.  On  approaching  me  they 
stopped.  "  Hasten,  O  Bey,"  exclaimed  one  of  them — "  hasten 
to  the  diggers,  for  they  have  found  Nimrod  himself.  Wallah, 
it  is  wonderful,  but  it  is  true  !  we  have  seen  him  with  our  eyes. 
There  is  no  God  but  God ; "  and  both  joining  in  this  pious  ex- 
clamation, they  galloped  oiF,  without  further  words,  in  the  di- 
rection of  their  tents. 

On  reaching  the  ruins  I  descended  into  the  new  trench,  and 
found  the  workmen,  who  had  already  seen  me,  as  I  approach- 
ed, standing  near  a  heap  of  baskets  and  cloaks.  Whilst  Awad 
advanced,  and  asked  for  a  present  to  celebrate  the  occasion, 
the  Arabs  withdrew  the  screen  they  had  hastily  constructed, 
and  disclosed  an  enormous  human  head  sculptured  in  full  out 
of  the  alabaster  of  the  country.  They  had  uncovered  the 
upper  part  of  the  figure,  the  remainder  of  which  was  still 
buried  in  the  earth.  I  saw  at  once  that  the  head  must  belong 
to  a  winged  lion  or  bull,  similar  to  those  of  Elhorsabad  and 
Persepolis.  It  was  in  admirable  preservation.  The  expres- 
sion was  calm,  yet  majestic,  and  the  outline  of  the  features 
showed  a  freedom  and  knowledge  of  art,  scarcely  to  be  looked 
for  in  the  works  of  so  remote  a  period.  The  cap  had  three 
horns,  and,  unlike  that  of  the  human-headed  bulls  hitherto 
found  in  Assyria,  was  rounded  and  without  ornament  at  the  top. 

I  was  not  surprised  that  the  Arabs  had  been  amazed  and 
terrified  at  this  apparition.  It  required  no  stretch  of  imagina- 
tion to  conjure  up  the  most  strange  fancies.  This  gigantic 
head,  blanched  with  age,  thus  rising  from  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  might  well  have  belonged  to  one  of  those  fearful  beings 
which  are  pictured  in  the  traditions  of  the  country,  as  appear- 
ing to  mortals,  slowly  ascending  from  the  regions  below.    One 


DISCOVERIES   m   NmEVEH. 


305 


of  the  workmen,  on  catcliing  the  first  glimpse  of  the  monster, 
had  thrown  down  his  basket  and  run  off  towards  Mosul  as  fast 
as  his  legs  could  carry  him.  I  learnt  this  with  regret,  as  I 
anticipated  the  consequences. 

Whilst  I  was  superintending  the  removal  of  the  earth, 
which  still  clung  to  the  sculpture,  and  giving  directions  for  the 


DISCOVERT  OF  THE   GIGANTIC   HEAD. 


continuation  of  the  work,  a  noise  of  horsenlen  was  heard,  and 
presently  Abd-ur-rahman,  followed  by  half  his  tribe,  appeared 
on  the  edge  of  the  trench.  As  soon  as  the  two  Arabs  had 
reached  the  tents,  and  published  the  wonders  they  had  seen, 
every  one  mounted  his  mare  and  rode  to  the  mound,  to  satisfy 


306  ASIA. 

himself  of  the  truth  of  these  inconceivable  reports.  When 
they  beheld  the  head  they  all  cried  out  together,  "  There  is  no 
God  but  God,  aild  Mohammed  is  his  Prophet !  "  It  was  some 
time  before  the  Sheikh  could  be  prevailed  upon  to  descend 
into  the  pit,  and  convince  himself  that  the  image  he  saw  was 
of  stone.  "  This  is  not  the  work  of  men's  hands,"  exclaimed 
he,  "  but  of  those  infidel  giants  of  whom  the  Prophet,  peace  be 
with  him !  has  said,  that  they  were  higher  than  the  tallest 
date  tree  ;  this  is  one  of  the  idols  which  Noah,  peace  be  with 
him  !  cursed  before  the  flood."  In  this  opinion,  the  result  of 
a  careful  examination,  all  the  bystanders  concurred.   , 

I  now  ordered  a  trench  to  be  dug  due  south  from  the  head, 
in  the  expectation  of  finding  a  corresponding  figure,  and  before 
night-faU  reached  the  object  of  my  search  about  twelve  feet 
distant.  Engaging  two  or  three  men  to  sleep  near  the  sculp- 
tures, I  returned  to  the  village  and  celebrated  the  day^s  dis- 
covery by  a  slaughter  of  sheep,  of  which  aU  the  Arabs  near 
partook.  As  some  wandering  musicians  chanced  to  be  at 
Selamiyah,  I  sent  for  them,  and  dances  were  kept  up  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  night.  On  the  following  morning 
Arabs  from  the  other  side  of  the  Tigris,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
the  surrounding  villages,  congregated  on  the  mound.  Even  the 
women  could  not  repress  their  curiosity,  and  came  in  crowds, 
with  their  children,  from  afar.  My  Cawass  was  stationed 
during  the  day  in  the  trench,  into  which  I  would  not  allow  the 
multitude  to  descend. 

As  I  had  expected,  the  report  of  the  discovery  of  the  gi- 
gantic head,  carried  by  the  terrified  Arab  to  Mosul,  had 
throvim  the  town  into  commotion.  The  news  soon  got  to  the 
ears  of  the  Cadi,  who,  anxious  for  a  fresh  opportunity  to  an- 
noy me,  called  the  Mufti  and  the  Ulema  together,  to  consult 
upon  this  unexpected  occurrence.  Their  deliberations  ended 
in  a  procession  to  the  Governor,  and  a  formal  protest,  on  the 
part  of  the  Musulmans  of  the  town,  against  proceedings  so 
directly  contrary  to  the  the  laws  of  the  Koran.    The  Cadi  had 


PISCOVEETES   m   NINEVEH.  307 

no  distinct  idea  whether  the  bones  of  the  mighty  hunter  had 
been  uncovered,  or  only  his  image ;  nor  did  Ismail  Pasha 
very  clearly  remember  whether  Nimrod  was  a  true-believing 
prophet,  or  an  Infidel.  I  consequently  received  a  somewhat 
unintelligible  message  from  his  Excellency,  to  the  effect  that 


i 

^ 

^ 
~ 

l^^\ 

m 

/ 

M 

m|| 

^ 

tIh 

^B 

t 

\Jl 

l^H 

^^B 

". 

i 

1 

il 

1 

LP 

im 

e^^ 

^■11 

^^ 

^^ 

WINGED  FIGURE,    (N.  W.  Palace,  Nimroud.) 


the  remains  should  be  treated  with  respect,  and  be  by  no  means 

further  disturbed,  and  that  he  wished  the  excavations  to  be 

stopped  at  once,  and  desired  to  confer  with  me  on  the  subject. 

I  called  upon  him  accordingly,  and  had  some  difficulty  in 


308  ASIA. 

making  him  understand  the  nature  of  my  discovery.  As  he 
requested  me  to  discontinue  my  operations  until  the  sensation 
in  the  town  had  somewhat  subsided,  I  returned  to  Nimroud 
and  dismissed  the  workmen,  detaining  only  two  men  to  dig 
leisurely  along  the  walls  without  giving  cause  for  further  in- 
terference. I  ascertained  by  the  end  of  March  the  existence 
of  a  second  pair  of  winged  human-headed  lions,  differing  from 
those  previously  discovered  in  form,  the  human  shape  being 
continued  to  the  waist  and  furnished  with  arms.  In  one  hand 
each  figure  carried  a  goat  or  stag,  and  in  the  other,  which 
hung  down  by  the  side,  a  branch  with  three  flowers.  They 
formed  a  northern  entrance  into  the  chamber  of  which  the 
lions  previously  described  were  the  southern  portal.  I  com- 
pletely uncovered  the  latter,  and  found  them  to  be  entire. 
They  were  about  twelve  feet  in  height,  and  the  same  number 
in  length.  The  body  and  limbs  were  admirably  portrayed ; 
the  muscles  and  bones,  although  strongly  developed  to  display 
the  strength  of  the  animal,  showed  at  the  same  time  a  correct 
knowledge  of  its  anatomy  and  form.  Expanded  wings  sprung 
from  the  shoulder  and  spread  over  the  back ;  a  knotted  girdle, 
ending  in  tassels,  encircled  the  loins.  These  sculptures,  form- 
ing an  entrance,  were  partly  in  full  and  partly  in  relief.  The 
head  and  fore-part,  facing  the  chamber,  were  in  full ;  but  only 
one  side  of  the  rest  of  the  slab  was  sculptured,  the  back  being 
placed  against  the  wall  of  sun-dried  Jbricks.  That  the  specta- 
tor might  have  both  a  perfect  front  and  side  view  of  the  fig- 
ures, they  were  furnished  with  five  legs  ;  two  were  carved  on 
the  end  of  the  slab  to  face  the  chamber,  and  three  on  the  side. 
The  relief  of  the  body  and  three  limbs  was  high  and  bold,  and 
the  slab  was  covered,  in  all  parts  not  occupied  by  the  image, 
with  inscriptions  in  the  cuneiform  character.  These  magnifi- 
cent specimens  of  Assyrian  art  were  in  perfect  preservation ; 
the  most  minute  lines  in  the  details  of  the  wings  and  in  the  or- 
naments had  been  retained  with  their  original  freshness.  Not 
a  character  was  wanting  in  the  inscriptions. 


DISCOVERIES   IN   NINEVEH. 


309 


I  used  to  contemplate  for  hours  these  mysterious  emblems, 
and  muse  over  their  intent  and  history.  What  more  noble 
forms  could  have  ushered  the  people  into  the  temple  of  their 
gods  ?  What  more  sublime  images  could  have  been  borrowed 
from  nature,  by  men  who  sought,  unaided  by  the  light  of  re- 


THK  ICING.    (N.  W.  Palace,  Nimroud.) 


vealed  religion,  to  embody  their  conception  of  the  wisdom, 
power,  and  ubiquity  of  a  Supreme  Being  ?  They  could  find 
no  better  type  of  intellect  and  knowledge  than  the  head  of  the 
man  ;  of  strength,  than  the  body  of  the  lion  ;  of  rapidity  of 


310  ASIA. 

motion,  than  the  wings  of  the  bird.  These  winged  human- 
headed  lions  were  not  idle  creations,  the  offspring  of  mere 
fancy ;  their  meaning  was  written  upon  them.  They  had 
awed  and  instructed  races  which  flourished  3,000  years  ago. 
Through  the  portals  which  they  guarded,  kings,  priests,  and 
warriors  had  borne  sacrifices  to  their  altars,  long  before  the 
wisdom  of  the  East  had  penetrated  to  Greece,  and  had  fur- 
nished its  mythology  with  sjmabols  long  recognized  by  the  As- 
syrian votaries.  They  may  have  been  buried,  and  their  exist- 
ence may  have  been  unknown,  before  the  foundation  of  the 
eternal  city.  For  twenty-five  centuries  they  had  been  hidden 
from  the  eye  of  man,  and  they  now  stood  forth  once  more  in 
their  ancient  majesty.  But  how  changed  was  the  scene 
around  them !  The  luxury  and  civilization  of  a  mighty  nation 
had  given  place  to  the  wretchedness  and  ignorance  of  a  few 
half-barbarous  tribes.  The  wealth  of  temples,  and  the  riches 
of  great  cities,  had  been  succeeded  by  ruins  and  shapeless 
heaps  of  earth.  Above  the  spacious  hall  in  which  they  stood, 
the  plough  had  passed  and  the  corn  now  waved.  Egypt  has 
monuments  no  less  ancient  and  no  less  wonderful ;  but  they 
have  stood  forth  for  ages  to  testify  her  early  power  and  re- 
nown ;  whilst  those  before  me  had  but  now  appeared  to  bear 
witness  in  the  words  of  the  prophet,  that  once  "  the  Assyrian 
was  a  cedar  in  Lebanon  with  fair  branches  and  with  a  shad- 
owing shroud  of  a  high  stature  ;  and  his  top  was  among  the 
thick  boughs  ....  his  height  was  exalted  above  all  the 
trees  of  the  field,  and  his  boughs  were  multiplied,  and  his 
branches  became  long,  because  of  the  multitude  of  waters  when 
he  shot  forth.  All  the  fowls  of  heaven  made  their  nests  in  his* 
boughs,  and  under  his  branches  did  all  the  beasts  of  the  field 
bring  forth  their  young,  and  under  his  shadow  dwelt  all  great 
nations  ;  "  for  now  is  "  Nineveh  a  desolation  and  dry  like  a 
wilderness,  and  flocks  lie  down  in  the  midst  of  her ;  all  the 
beasts  of  the  nations,  both  the  cormorant  and  bittern,  lodge  in 


DISCOVEEIES   IN   NINEVEH. 


311 


the  upper  lintels  of  it ;  their  voice  sings  in  the  windows  ;  and 

desolation  is  in  the  thresholds." 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

[Soon  after  these  remarkable  discoveries  Mr.  Layard's  ex- 
plorations brought  to  light  an  obelisk  about  seven  feet  in 
height.] 

It  was  sculptured  on  the  four  sides  ;  there  were  in  all  twen- 
ty small  bas-reliefs,  and  above,  below,  and  between  them  was 
carved  an  inscription  210  lines  in  length.     The  whole  was  in 


THE  OBELISK. 


312  ASIA. 

the  best  preservation  ;  scarcely  a  character  of  the  inscription 
was  wanting ;  and  the  figures  were  as  sharp  and  well  defined 
as  if  they  had  been  carved  but  a  few  days  before.  The  king 
is  twice  represented,  followed  by  his  attendants  ;  a  prisoner  is 
at  his  feet,  and  his  vizier  and  eunuchs  are  introducing  men 
leading  various  animals,  and  carrying  vases  and  other  objects 
of  tribute  on  their  shoulders,  or  in  their  hands.  The  animals 
are  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  the  Bactrian,  or  two-humped 
camel,  the  wild  bull,  the  lion,  a  stag,  and  various  kinds  of 
monkeys.  Amongst  the  objects  carried  by  the  tribute-bearers, 
may  perhaps  be  distinguished  the  tusks  of  the  elephant, 
shawls,  and  some  bundles  of  precious  wood.  From  the  na- 
ture, therefore,  of  the  bas-reliefs,  it  is  natural  to  conjecture 
that  the  monument  was  erected  to  commemorate  the  conquest 
of  India,  or  of  some  country  far  to  the  east  of  Assyria,  and  on 
the  confines  of  the  Indian  peninsula.  The  name  of  the  king, 
whose  deeds  it  appears  to  record,  is  the  same  as  that  on  the 
centre  bulls ;  and  it  is  introduced  by  a  genealogical  list  con- 
taining many  other  royal  names. 

I  lost  no  time  in  copying  the  inscriptions,  and  drawing  the 
bas-reliefs,  upon  this  precious  relic.  It  was  then  carefully 
packed,  to  be  transported  at  once  to  Baghdad.  A  party  of 
trustworthy  Arabs  were  chosen  to  sleep  near  it  at  night ;  and 
I  took  every  precaution  that  the  superstitions  and  prejudices 
of  the  natives  of  the  country,  and  the  jealousy  of  rival  anti- 
quaries could  suggest. 

******* 
The  tradition,  placing  the  tomb  of  the  prophet  Jonah  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river  opposite  Mosul,  has  led  to  the  identifica- 
tion of  the  space  comprised  within  the  quadrangular  mass  of 
mounds,  containing  Kouyunjik  and  Nebbi  Yunus,  with  the 
site  of  ancient  Nineveh.  These  ruins,  however,  taken  by 
themselves,  occupy  much  too  small  a  space  to  be  those  of  a 
city,  even  larger,  according  to  Strabo,  than  Babylon.  Its  di- 
mensions, as  given  by  Diodorus  Siculus,  were  150  stadia  on 


DISCOVERIES   IN  NINEVEH.  313 

the  two  longest  sides  of  the  quadrangle,  and  90  on  the  opposite, 
the  square  being  480  stadia,  or  about  60  miles.  In  the  book 
of  Jonah,  it  is  called  "  an  exceeding  great  city  of  three  days' 
journey ;  "  the  number  of  inhabitants,  who  did  not  know  their 


ENEMY  ASKING  QUARTER  OF  ASSYRIAN  HORSEMEN.     (S.  W.  Palace,  Nimroud.) 

right  hand  from  their  left,  being  six  score  thousand.  I  will 
not  stop  to  inquire  to  what  class  of  persons  this  number  ap- 
plied ;  whether  to  children,  to  those  ignorant  of  right  or  wrong, 
or  to  the  whole  population.  It  is  evident  that  the  city  was  one 
14 


314  ASIA. 

of  very  considerable  extent,  and  could  not  have  been  com- 
prised in  the  space  occupied  by  the  ruins  opposite  Mosul, 
scarcely  five  miles  in  circumference.  The  dimensions  of  an 
Eastern  city  do  not  bear  the  same  proportion  to  its  population 
as  those  of  an  European  city.  A  place  as  extensive  as  Lon- 
don, or  Paris,  might  not  contain  one-third  of  the  number  of 
•inhabitants  of  either.  The  custom,  prevalent  from  the  earliest 
period  in  the  East,  of  secluding  women  in  apartments  removed 
from  those  of  the  men,  renders  a  separate  house  for  each  fam- 
ily almost  indispensable.  It  was  probably  as  rare,  in  the  time 
of  the  Assyrian  monarchy,  to  find  more  than  one  family  resid- 
ing under  one  roof,  unless  composed  of  persons  very  intimate- 
ly related,  such  as  father  and  son,  as  it  is  at  present  in  a  Turk- 
ish city.  Moreover,  gardens  and  arable  land  were  inclosed  by 
the  city  walls.  According  to  Diodorus  and  Quintus  Curtius, 
there  was  space  enough  within  the  precincts  of  Babylon  to 
cultivate  corn  for  the  sustenance  of  the  whole  population,  in 
case  of  siege,  besides  gardens  and  orchards.  From  the  ex- 
pression of  Jonah,  that  there  was  much  cattle  within  the 
walls,  it  may  be  inferred  that  there  was  also  pasture  for 
them.  Many  cities  of  the  East,  such  as  Damascus  and  Ispha 
han,  are  thus  built ;  the  amount  of  their  population  being 
greatly  disproportionate  to  the  site  they  occupy,  if  computed 
according  to  the  rules  applied  to  European  cities.  It  is  most 
probable  that  Nineveh  and  Babylon  resembled  them  in  this 
respect. 

The  ruins  hitherto  examined  have  shown,  that  there  are 
remains  of  buildings  of  various  epochs,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Tigris,  near  its  junction  with  the  Zab  ;  and  that  many  years, 
or  even  centuries,  must  have  elapsed  between  the  construction 
of  the  earliest  and  the  latest.  That  the  ruins  at  Nimroud  were 
within  the  precincts  of  Nineveh,  if  they  do  not  alone  mark  its 
site,  appears  to  be  proved  by  Strabo,  and  by  Ptolemy's  state- 
ment that  the  city  was  on  the  Lycus,  corroborated  by  the  tra- 
dition preserved  by  the  earliest  Arab  geographers.     Yakut, 


DISCOVEEIES   m   NINEVEH.  315 

and  others  mention  the  ruins  of  Athur,  near  Selamiyah,  which 
gave  the  name  of  Assyria  to  the  province  ;  and  Ibn  Said  ex- 
pressly states,  that  they  were  those  of  the  city  of  the  Assyrian 
kings  who  destroyed  Jerusalem.  They  are  still  called,  as  it 
has  been  shown,  both  Athur  and  Nimroud.      The  evidence 


PART  OP  A  BAS-RELIEF,  SHOWING  A  PULLEY,  AND  A  WARRIOR  CUTTING  A  BUCKET 
FROM  THE  ROPE. 


afforded  by  the  examination  of  all  the  known  ruins  of  Assyria, 
further  identifies  Nimroud  with  Nineveh.  It  would  appear 
from  existing  monuments,  that  the  city  was  originally  f&unded 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  these  mounds.  From  its  imme- 
diate vicinity  to  the  place  of  junction  of  two  large  rivers,  the 
Tigris  and  the  Zab,  no  better  position  could  have  been  chosen. 


316  ASIA. 

It  is  probable  that  the  great  edifice,  in  the  northwest  comer  of 
the  principal  mound,  was  the  temple  or  palace,  or  the  two 
combined ;  the  smaller  houses  were  scattered  around  it,  over 
the  face  of  the  country.  To  the  palace  was  attached  a  park, 
or  paradise  as  it  was  called,  in  which  was  preserved  game  of 
various  kinds  for  the  diversion  of  the  king.  Tliis  enclosure, 
formed  by  walls  and  towers,  may  perhaps  still  be  traced  in  the 
line  of  low  mounds  branching  out  from  the  principal  ruin. 
Future  monarchs  added  to  the  first  building,  and  the  centre 
palace  arose  by  its  side.  As  the  population  increased  with  the 
duration  and  prosperity  of  the  empire,  and  by  the  forced  im- 
migration of  conquered  nations,  the  dimensions  of  the  city 
increased  also.  A  king  founding  a  new  d3masty,  or  anxious 
to  perpetuate  his  fame  by  the  erection  of  a  new  building,  may 
have  chosen  a  distant  site.  The  city  gradually  spreading, 
may  at  length  have  embraced  such  additional  palaces.  This 
appears  to  have  been  the  case  with  Nineveh.  Nimroud  rep- 
resents the  original  site  of  the  city.  To  the  first  palace  the 
son  of  its  founder  added  a  second,  of  which  we  have  the  ruins 
in  the  centre  of  the  mound.  He  also  built  the  edifice  now 
covered  by  the  great  mound  of  Baasheikha,  as  the  inscriptions 
on  the  bricks  from  that  place  prove.  He  founded,  at  the  same 
time,  a  new  city  at  Kalah  Sherghat.  A  subsequent  monarA 
again  added  to  the  palaces  at  Nimroud,  and  recorded  the  event 
on  the  pavement  slabs,  in  the  upper  chambers  of  the  western 
face  of  the  mound.  At  a  much  later  period,  when  the  older 
palaces  were  already  in  ruins,  edifices  were  erected  on  the 
sites  now  marked  by  the  mounds  of  Khorsabad,  and  Karamles. 
The  son  of  their  founder  built  the  great  palace  at  Kouyunjik, 
which  must  have  exceeded  those  of  his  predecessors  in  extent 
and  magnificence.  His  son  was  engaged  in  raising  one  more 
edifice  at  Nimroud ;  the  previous  palaces,  as  it  has  been  shown, 
having  been  long  before  deserted  or  destroyed,  when  some  great 
event,  perhaps  the  fall  of  the  empire  and  destruction  of  the 
capital,  prevented  its  completion. 


DISCOVEEIES   IN  NINEVEH. 


317 


The  city  had  now  attained  the  dimensions  assigned  to  it 
by  the  book  of  Jonah,  and  by  Diodorus  Siculus.  If  we  take 
the  four  great  mounds  of  Nimroud,  Kouyunjik,  Khorsabad, 
and  Karamles,  as  the  comers  of  a  square,  it  will  be  found  that 
its  four  sides  correspond  pretty  accurately  with  the  480  stadia 
or  60  miles  of  the  geographer,  which  make  the  three  days' 


SITTING  FIGURE   IN  BASALT,   FROM  KALAH  SHER6HAT. 


journey  of  the  prophet.*     Within  this  space  there  are  many 
large  mounds,  including  the  principal  ruins  in  Assyria,  such  as 

*  From  the  northern  extremity  of  Kouyunjik  to  Nimroud,  is  about 
eighteen  miles  ;  the  distance  from  Nimroud  to  Karamles,  about  twelve ;  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  square  the  same :  these  measurements  correspond  ac- 
curately with  the  elongated  quadrangle  of  Diodorus.  Twenty  miles  is  the 
day's  journey  of  the  East,  and  we  have  consequently  the  three  days'  journey 
of  Jonah  for  the  circumference  of  the  city.  The  agreement  of  these  meas- 
urements is  remarkable.  Within  this  space  was  fought  the  great  battle  be- 
tween Heraclius  and  Rhazates  (a.  d.  627).  "  The  city  and  even  the  ruins  of 
the  city,  had  long  since  disappeared ;  the  vacant  space  afforded  a  spacious 
field  for  the  operations  of  the  two  armies."  (Gibbon,  Decline  and  MiU, 
ch.  xlvi.) 


318  ASIA. 

Karakush,  Baasheikha,  Baazani,  Husseini,  Tel-Yara,  &c.,  &c. ; 
and  the  face  of  the  country  is  strewed  with  the  remains  of 
pottery,  bricks,  and  other  fragments. 

The  space  between  the  great  public  edifices  was  probably 
occupied  by  private  houses,  standing  in  the  midst  of  gardens, 
and  built  at  distances  from  one  another ;  or  forming  streets 
which  inclosed  gardens  of  considerable  extent,  and  even  arable 
land.  The  absence  of  the  remains  of  such  buildings  may  easily 
be  accounted  for.  They  were  constructed  almost  entirely  of 
sun-dried  bricks,  and,  like  the  houses  now  built  in  the  country, 
soon  disappeared  altogether  when  once  abandoned,  and  allowed 
to  fall  into  decay.  The  largest  palaces  would  probably  have 
remained  undiscovered,  had  there  not  been  the  slabs  of  alabas- 
ter to  show  the  walls.  There  is,  however,  sufficient  to  indicate 
that  buildings  were  once  spread  over  the  space  above  described  ; 
for,  besides  the  vast  number  of  small  mounds  everywhere  visi- 
ble, scarcely  a  husbandman  drives  his  plough  over  the  soil, 
without  ^exposing  the  vestiges  of  former  habitations.  Each 
quarter  of  the  city  may  have  had  its  distinct  name  ;  hence  the 
palace  of  Evorita,  where  Saracus  destroyed  himself,  and  the 
Mespila  and  Larissa  of  Xenophon  applied  respectively  to  the 
ruins  at  Kouyunjik  and  Nimroud. 

Existing  ruins  thus  show,  that  Nineveh  acquired  its  great- 
est extent  in  the  time  of  the  kings  of  the  second  dynasty  ;  that 
is  to  say,  of  the  kings  mentioned  in  Scripture.  It  was  then 
that  Jonah  visited  it,  and  that  reports  of  its  size  and  mag- 
nificence were  carried  to  the  west,  and  gave  rise  to  the  tradi- 
tions from  which  the  Greek  authors  mainly  derived  the  infor- 
mation handed  down  to  us. 

******* 

The  monuments  hitherto  discovered  furnish  us  with  few 
details  illustrating  the  private  life  and  domestic  economy  of 
those  who  raised  them.  The  bas-reliefs  are  mostly  public 
records  of  conquests,  triumphs,  and  great  religious  ceremonies. 
As  they  were  placed  in  palaces  and  temples,  they  could,  of 


DISCOVEEIES  IN  NINEVEH. 


319 


course,  but  refer  to  national  events  ;  no  others  being  worthy 
of  so  conspicuous  a  position.  If  any  memorial  of  the  private 
life  of  an  individual  were  preserved,  or  if  his  peculiar  pro- 
fession or  trade  were  indicated,  it  must  have  been  in  his  own 
dwelling  or  in  his  tomb,  as  in  Egypt.  Hitherto  only  the  pub- 
lic buildings  of  Assyria  have  been  discovered,  and  we  have 


SCRIBES  WRITING  DOWN  THE  NUMBER  OF  HEADS  OF  THE  SLAIN  AND  THE  AMOUNT 
OP  THE  SPOIL.      (Kouyunjik.) 


consequently  only  the  public  records.  If  the  interiors  of  houses 
and  the  occupations  of  their  inmates,  are  represented  in  the 
bas-reliefs,  they  are  casually  introduced,  to  illustrate  or  to  con- 
vey more  fully  the  meaning  of  the  general  subject.  Thus, 
within  the  walls  of  castles  belonging  to  the  Assyrians,  or  cap- 
tured by  them,  are  seen  buildings  and  tents.  The  inhabitants 
are  slaying  sheep,  and  engaged  in  domestic  occupations,  seated 
and  conversing  together,  feeding  their  horses,  and  preparing 
their  couches.  But  these  details  are  all  made  subservient  to 
the  main  action,  which  is  the  siege  or  triumph. 


320  ASIA. 

With  such  scanty  materials  at  our  command,  we  can 
scarcely  venture  to  form  any  conjecture  as  to  the  manners  and 
private  life  of  the  Assyrians.  The  subject  must  be  deferred 
until  further  discoveries  have  supplied  us  with  additional  in- 
formation. 

From  casual  notices  in  the  Bible  and  in  ancient  history,  we 
learn  that  the  Assyrians,  as  well  as  those  who  succeeded  them 
in  the  empire  of  Asia,  were  fond  of  public  entertainments  and 
festivities,  and  that  they  displayed  on  such  occasions  the  great- 
est luxury  and  magnificence.  The  Assyrian  king,  called  Na- 
buchodonosor  in  the  book  of  Judith,  on  returning  from  his 
victorious  expedition  against  Arphaxad,  feasted  with  his  whole 
army  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  days.  The  same  is  related 
by  the  Greek  authors  of  Sardanapalus,  after  his  great  victory 
over  the  combined  armies  of  the  Medes.  The  book  of  Esther 
describes  the  splendor  of  the  festivals  given  by  the  Babylonian 
king.  The  princes  and  nobles  of  his  vast  dominions  were 
feasted  for  one  hundred  and  eighty  days  ;  and  for  one  week  all 
the  people  of  Susa  assembled  in  the  gardens  of  his  palace,  and 
were  served  in  vessels  of  gold.  The  richest  tapestries  adorned 
the  halls  and  tents,  and  the  most  costly  couches  were  prepared 
for  the  guests.  Wine  was  served  in  abundance,  and  women, 
including  even  the  wives  and  concubines  of  the  monarch,  were 
frequently  present  to  add  to  the  magnificence  of  the  scene. 
According  to  Quintus  Curtius,  not  only  did  hired  female  per- 
formers exhibit  on  these  occasions,  but  the  wives  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  nobles,  forgetting  their  modesty,  danced  before  the 
guests,  divesting  themselves  even  of  their  garments.  Wine 
"was  drunk  immoderately.  When  Babylon  was  taken  by  the 
Persians,  the  inhabitants  were  celebrating  one  of  their  great 
festivals,  and  even  the  guards  were  intoxicated.  The  Baby- 
lonian king,  ignorant  of  the  approaching  fate  of  his  capital, 
and  surrounded  by  one  thousand  of  his  princes  and  nobles,  and 
by  his  wives  and  concubines,  drank  out  of  the  golden  vessels 
that  had  been  carried  away  from  the  Jewish  temple.     On  the 


DISCOVERIES   m  NINEYEH. 


321 


walls  of  the  palace  at  Khorsabad  was  a  bas-relief  representing 
a  public  feast,  probably  in  celebration  of  a  victory.  Men 
were  seen  seated  on  high  chairs  with  drinking-cups  in  their 
hands  ;  whilst  attendants  were  bringing  in  bowls,  goblets,  and 
various  fruits  and  viands,  for  the  banquet.  At  Nimroud  part 
of  a  similar  bas-relief  was  discovered. 

Music  was  not  wanting  on  these  occasions.     It  is  probable 
that  the  Assyrians,  like  the  Egyptians,  had  various  musical 


The  Egyptian  Goddess  Ken. 
From  a  tablet  in  the  British  Museum. 


Absteian  Deity  (?  the  Astarte  of  the  Assy- 
rians and  the  Ken  of  the  Egyptians.) 
From  a  rock  tablet  at  Malthaiyahi,  near 
Mosul. 


instruments ;  only  one  kind,  however,  is  represented  in  the 
sculptures.  It  is  in  the  shape  of  a  triangle,  is  held  between 
the  left  arm  and  the  side,  and  appears  to  have  been  suspended 
from  the  neck.  The  strings,  nine  or  ten  in  number,  are 
stretched  between  a  flat  board  and  an  upright  bar  through 
which  they  pass.  Tassels  are  appended  to  the  ends  of  the 
strings,  and  the  bar  itself  is  generally  surmounted  by  a  small 
hand,  probably  of  metal  or  ivory.  The  instrument  was  struck 
vrith  a  plectrum  held  in  the  right  hand :  the  left  appears  to 
14* 


322  ASIA. 

have  been  used  either  to  pull  the  strings,  or  to  produce  notes 
by  pressure.  Like  the  Egjrptian  harp,  it  had  no  cross-piece 
between  the  upright  bar  and  the  flat  board  or  base  ;  it  is  diffi- 
cult, therefore,  to  understand  how  the  strings  could  have  been 
sufficiently  tightened  to  produce  notes. 

In  describing  the  dress  of  the  Assyrians,  I  have  had  occa- 
sion to  allude  to  their  skiU  in  the  manufacture  of  linen  and 
woollen  stuffs,  which  were  dyed,  and  embroidered  not  only 
with  a  variety  of  beautiful  ornaments,  but  with  groups  of  hu- 
man figures  and  animals.  Of  all  Asiatic  nations,  the  Baby- 
lonians were  most  noted  for  the  weaving  of  cloth  of  divers 
colors.  In  these  stuffs  gold  threads  were  introduced  into  the 
woof  of  many  hues.  Amongst  those  who  traded  in  "  blue 
clothes  and  embroidered  work"  with  Tyre,  were  the  merchants 
of  Asshur  or  Assyria  ;  and  that  the  garments  of  Babylon  were 
brought  into  Syria,  and  greatly  esteemed  at  a  very  early  pe- 
riod, we  learn  from  their  being  classed  amongst  the  most  pre- 
cious articles  of  spoils,  even  with  gold,  in  the  time  of  Joshua. 
They  formed,  perhaps,  "the  dyed  attire  and  embroidered 
work"  so  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  gar- 
ments of  princes,  and  the  most  costly  gifts  of  kings.  The 
ornaments  and  figures  upon  them  may  either  have  been  dyed, 
worked  in  the  loom,  or  embroidered  with  the  needle,  "  like 
the  prey  of  divers  colors  of  needle-work,  of  divers  colors  of 
needle-work  on  both  sides." 

The  cotton  manufactures  of  Babylon  were  as  remarkable 
for  brilliancy  of  color  as  fineness  of  texture,  and  Pliny  attrib- 
utes the  invention  of  cotton  weaving  to  Semiramis.  The 
silken  robes  of  Assyria  were  equally  esteemed.  The  looms 
of  Babylon  maintained  their  celebrity  long  after  the  fall  of 
the  Assyrian  empire — even  to  the  time  of  the  Roman  su- 
premacy. 

The  carpets  of  Babylon  were  no  less  prized  than  her  other 
manufactures.  Like  the  Assyrian  robes,  they  appear  to  have 
been  embroidered  with  fi^rires  of  animals  and  flowers.  •  A 


DISCOVERIES   m  NINEVEH.  323 

purple  carpet  covered  the  tomb  of  Cyrus  ;  and  on  the  bed  upon 
which  the  body  was  placed,  were  Babylonian  garments,  car- 
pets, and  purple  drapery. 

These  manufactures  probably  formed  one  of  the  principal 
branches  of  trade  of  "  this  land  of  traffic  and  city  of  mer- 


BAS-RELIEP  REPRESENTING  WARRIORS  BEFORE  A  BESIEGED  CITY.     A  BATTERING-RAM 
DRAWN  UP  TO  THE  WALLS,  AND  CAPTIVES  IMPALED.      (Centre  Palace,  Nimroud.) 

chants."  The  Babylonians  and  Assyrians  carried  on  a  con- 
siderable commerce  with  India  ;  and  the  costly  produce  of  that 
peninsula  was  conveyed  through  the  Babylonian  territories  to 
the  most  distant  regions  of  Syria,  from  whence  it  was  diffused 
over  western  Europe  and  Asia  Minor. 

The  Assyrians  were  no  less  celebrated  for  their  skill  in 


824  ASIA. 

working  metals  than  for  their  embroideries.  Their  mountains 
furnished  a  variety  of  minerals — silver,  iron,  copper,  and  lead, 
and  perhaps  even  gold.  Iron,  the  most  useful  of  all  metals, 
was  the  one  which  most  abounded,  and  which  could  be  most 
easily  procured,  as  soon  as  the  process  of  extracting  it  from 
the  ore  was  known.  I  have  observed  that  it  is  found  in  great 
quantities  scattered  on  the  sides  of  mountains,  three  or  four 
days'  journey  from  Mosul.  Amongst  the  objects  of  tribute 
enumerated  in  the  statistical  tablet  of  Karnak,  iron  is  men- 
tioned as  brought  to  the  Egyptians  almost  exclusively  by  the 
inhabitants  either  of  Assyria  Proper,  or  of  the  countries  imme- 
diately adjacent — ^by  the  Tahai,  the  Ruten-nu,  and  the  Asi.  It 
was  generally  exported  in  the  form  of  bricks  or  pigs,  but  also 
occasionally  in  the  ore.  The  same  nations,  particularly  the 
Tahai,  offered  gold,  silver,  tin  ( ?) ,  copper,  brass,  lead,  and 
antimony  (?).  These  metals  were  not  only  brought  in  the 
rough  state,  or,  if  gold  and  silver,  in  rings,  but  even  manu- 
factured into  vases  of  beautiful  form.  Mr.  Birch  remarks : 
"  The  silver  vases  of  the  Tahai  are  a  remarkable  tribute,  as 
they  show  an  excellence  injworking  metals  among  these  peo- 
ple ;  indeed,  the  art  of  toreutic  work  in  Asia  influenced  so 
largely  even  the  Greek  world  at  a  later  period,  as  to  rival  and 
gradually  supersede  the  fictile  painted  vases  of  the  Greeks." 
And  he  then  mentions  "  the  offerings  of  vases  of  gold  and 
silver,  with  handles,  and  feet,  and  covers  in  the  shape  of  ani- 
mals, such  as  the  bull  and  gazelle  (or  wild  goat?),  kneeling 
Asiatics,  the  heads  of  lions,  goats,  and  even  of  the  god  Baal." 
All  these  are  pure  Assyrian  emblems.  The  vase  in  the  form 
of  a  lion's  head,  probably  similar  to  that  represented  in  the 
sculptures  of  Khorsabad,  is  particularly  alluded  to  amongst 
the  offerings  of  the  Tahai.  The  tribute  obtained  by  the 
Egyptians  from  Naharaina,  or  Mesopotamia,  consisted  of 
vases  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper,  and  precious  stones ;  and 
vases  of  gold,  silver,  and  brass,  were  the  presents  brought  by 
the  prince  of  northern  Syria  to  David. 


DISCOVERIES   m  NINEVEH.  325 

Gold  is  not  now,  I  believe,  known  to  exist  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Kurdistan.  As,  both  according  to  sacred  and  profane 
authors,  it  was  collected  in  such  extraordinary  quantities  in 
Nineveh  and  Babylon,  and  as  it  is  generally  included  in  the 
Egyptian  inscriptions  amongst  metals  brought  from  that  part 
of  Asia,  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  mines  of  it  were  once  worked 
within  the  Assyrian  dominions.*  It  was  used  by  the  Assyr- 
ians, as  I  have  already  mentioned,  in  their  architectural  orna- 
ments, bricks  and  tiles  of  gold  and  silver  being  even  placed  in 
the  exterior  walls  of  their  palaces.f  That  they  were  at  a  very 
early  period  acquainted  with  the  art  of  gilding  is  proved  by 
the  remains  of  very  thin  gold  leaf,  found  not  only  on  the 
ivories  and  on  bricks,  but  even  under  the  great  throne  or  altar 
in  the  northwest  palace,  where  it  must  have  been  deposited 
during  the  building  of  the  edifice.  I 

Silver  is  found  in  the  mountains  of  Kurdistan,  and  mines 

*  Sardanapalus  is  said  to  have  placed  one  hundred  and  fifty  golden  beds, 
and  as  many  tables  of  the  same  metal,  on  his  funeral  pile,  besides  gold  and 
silver  vases  and  ornaments  in  enormous  quantities,  and  purple  and  many- 
colored  raiments.  (Athenseus,  lib.  xii.)  When  Nineveh  was  taken,  it  con- 
tained, according  to  some  absurd  traditions,  £25,000,000,000  sterling  in  gold ! 
The  spoiler  might  well  have  exclaimed,  "  Take  ye  the  gold,  take  ye  the  silver 
— the  riches  of  Nineveh  are  inexhaustible — ^her  vases  and  precious  furniture 
arc  infinite."  (Nahum,  ii.  9.)  That  this  precious  metal,  however,  was  most 
plentiful,  we  can  scarcely  doubt.  The  statue  of  solid  gold  raised  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar in  the  plain  of  Dura  was  threescore  cubits  high,  and  six  cubits 
broad.  (Daniel,  iii.  1.)  Herodotus  and  Diodorus  describe  the  statues  of  this 
metal  in  the  temple  of  Belus,  at  Babylon.  The  base  of  the  table,  the  seat 
of  the  throne,  and  an  altar  on  which  sacrifices  were  offered,  were  all  of  the 
purest  gold.  Xerxes  carried  away  the  golden  statue  of  the  god,  twelve 
cubits  in  height,  which  his  father  Darius  had  not  ventured  to  seize.  (Herod. 
1.  i.  c.  183.)  According  to  Diodorus,  the  value  of  the  gold  taken  from  the 
temple  of  Belus  alone  by  Xerxes  amounted  to  above  7,350  Attic  talents,  or 
£21,000,000  sterhng  money ! 

f  Thus  the  walls  of  Ecbatana  were  partly  plated  with  gold  and  silver. 
(Herod.  1.  i.  c.  98.) 

:}:  Gold  and  silver  "spread  into  plates"  are  mentioned  in  Jeremiah 
among  the  objects  of  trade  brought  from  Uphaz  and  Tarshish  (ch.  x.  ver.  9) ; 


326  ASIA. 

of  it  are  still  worked  by  the  Turkish  government  near  the 
frontiers  of  ancient  Assyria  and  in  Armenia.  It  is  very  prob- 
able that  others  exist  in  a  country  whose  mineral  riches  have 
not  been  explored. 

Although  the  precious  metals  were  known  at  a  very  early 
period,  even  Abraham,  a  dweller  in  tents,  being  rich  in  gold 
and  silver,*  no  coins  have  been  discovered  amongst  Assyrian 
ruins,  nor  is  there  any  thing  in  the  sculptures  to  show  that  the 
Assyrians  were  acquainted  with  money,  as  in  Egypt.  Metals 
in  their  rough  state,  or  in  bars  or  rings,  may  have  been  passed 
by  weight,  or,  if  precious,  in  ring-ingots,  or  as  gold  dust,  in  ex- 
change for  merchandise,  and  in  other  transactions,  but  not  as 
stamped  coins  or  tokens.f  It  is  remarkable,  that  no  coin  has 
yet  been  discovered  in  Egyptian  ruins.  J 

Copper  mines,  worked  at  a  very  remote  period,  probably 
by  the  Assyrians  themselves,  still  exist  in  the  mountains  with- 
in the  confines  of  Assyria.  This  metal  appears  to  have  been 
extensively  used  by  the  Assyrians,  both  for  ornaments,  and  in 
the  construction  of  weapons  and  tools.  It  was  inlaid  into  their 
iron  helmets,  and  formed  part  of  their  armor.  Daggers  and 
the  heads  of  arrows  were  frequently  made  of  it,  mixed,  it 
would  appear,  with  a  certain  quantity  of  iron  and  hardened, 
as  in  Egypt,  by  an  alloy  of  tin.  The  tools  of  the  sculptor 
were  probably  of  some  such  combination ;  but  as  the  Egypt- 
ians appear  to  have  been  acquainted,  at  a  very  early  period, 

and  Solomon's  throne  was  partly  overlaid  with  gold  ;  as  was  also  the  inside 
of  his  temple  (1  Kings,  vi.  22,  and  x.  18). 

*  Genesis,  xiii.  2. 

•j-  The  money  mentioned  in  the  Bible  is  always  passed  by  weight.  (Gren- 
esis,  xliii.  21.) 

j(.  The  earliest  mention  in  authentic  history  of  a  coin  current  in  the  Per- 
sian dominions  is  in  Herod,  lib.  iv.  c.  166  ;  the  same  author  declaring  (lib. 
i.  c.  94)  that  the  Lydians  were  the  first  people  who  coined  money.  It  was 
issued  by  Darius  Hystaspes,  and  called  after  him  "  the  Daric."  It  was  long 
afterwards  celebrated  for  its  purity,  and  gave  its  name  to  all  gold  pieces  sub- 
sequently coined  in  Persia  even  by  kmgs  of  the  Macedonian  race. 


DISCOVERIES   m  NINEYEH. 


327 


with  steel,  and  to  have  used  it,  as  well  as  bronze,  in  sculpturing 
stone,  marble,  and  granite,  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  Assyr- 
ians were  not  ignorant  of  this  useful  form  of  iron.  The  soft 
limestone  of  their  monuments  would  not,  however,  like  the 
granite  of  Egypt,  require  a  very  highly-tempered  instrument. 
But  the  black  basalt  is  hard,  offering  considerable  resistance 
to  the  tools  of  the  sculptor ;  and  we  find  that  the  Assyrian 


A  SHIP.    (Khorsabad.) 


statues  in  this  material  are  less  carefully  finished  than  the  bas- 
reliefs  of  alabaster. 

Antimony  is,  I  beheve,  found  in  the  Kurdish  mountains ; 
but  I  am  not  aware  of  the  existefice  of  tin  in  any  part  of  As- 
syria. Still  the  Assyrians  and  the  adjoining  nations  must 
have  obtained  this  metal  from  their  own  dominions,  or  from 
some  country  to  the  east  of  them,  as  it  is  mentioned  amongst 


328  ASIA. 

the  objects  of  tribute  brought  to  the  Egyptians  from  that  part 
of  Asia.  It  would  scarcely  have  been  procured,  merely  for 
the  purpose  of  an  offering,  from  the  Phoenicians,  who  were  so 
much  nearer  Egypt. 

The  Assyrians  were  equally  skilled  in  working  and  casting 
metals.  Amongst  the  copper  figures  from  Nimroud,  I  must 
particularly  mention  the  lions  in  solid  metal  found  under  the 
fallen  bull  in  the  great  hall,  which  are  of  great  beauty,  almost 
rivalling  the  bronzes  of  Greece  ;  and  three  hollow  lions'  paws, 
which  apparently  formed  the  feet  of  a  throne  or  couch. 

I  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak  of  their  dexterity  in 
carving  ivory,  and  have  described  the  beautiful  ornaments  in 
that  material  discovered  at  Nimroud.  Although  the  elephant 
was  not  an  inhabitant  of  Assyria,  but  was  probably  brought 
from  India,  its  tusks  appear  to  have  been  an  article  of  trade 
between  the  Assyrians  and  the  nations  to  the  westward.  The 
workmen,  too,  of  Assyria  were  employed  by  foreign  nations  as 
carvers  in  ivory  ;  and  we  find  the  company  of  the  Ashurites 
or  Assyrians,  making  the  benches  of  that  material  in  the  Tyr- 
ian  galleys.*  The  Assyrians  had  already  extensively  used  it 
in  the  construction  of  their  palaces ;  and  it  was  from  them, 
perhaps,  that  the  Jews  adopted  it  in  the  decoration  of  their 
palaces  and  furniture. f  The  human  head  and  limbs  carved  in 
ivory,  discovered  at  Nimroud,  probably  belonged  to  an  entire 
figure,  the  body  of  which  may  have  been  of  wood  or  metal, 

*  Ezekiel  xxvii.  6.  It  is  possible  that  some  tribe,  and  not  the  Assyrians, 
is  meant.  Mr.  Birch  conjectures  that  the  Phoenicians,  who  appear  to  have 
supphcd  the  Greeks  with  ivory  ornaments  at  a  very  early  period,  may  have 
chiefly  derived  the  elephant's  tusk  from  an  indirect  communication  with 
India  and  Bactria  through  Assyria. 

f  Ahab  had  an  ivory  house.  (1  Kings,  xxii.  39.)  Ivory  palaces  arc 
mentioned  in  Psalm  xlv.  8.  And  compare  Amos,  iii.  15.  Solomon  made  a 
throne  of  ivory.  (1  Kings,  x.  18.)  Beds  of  ivory  are  spoken  of  in  Amos 
(vi.  4),  Mr.  Birch  has  collected,  in  his  Memoir  on  the  Nimroud  Ivories 
(Trans,  of  R.  Soc.  of  Lit.  New  Series),  various  instances  of  the  early  use  of 
ivory  amongst  the  Assyrians,  Egyptians,  and  Greeks. 


DISCOVEEIES   m  NINEVEH. 


329 


like  the  Chryselepliantine  statues  of  the  Greeks,  which  were 
of  wood  inlaid  with  gold  and  ivory.  The  Assyrians  were  ac- 
quainted with  the  art  of  inlaying.  Blue  opaque  glass  and 
other  substances  of  various  colors  are  let  into  the  ivory  tablets 
from  Nimroud. 

They  had  also  acquii'ed  the  art  of  making  glass.*  Several 
small  bottles  or  vases  of  elegant  shape,  in  this  material,  were 
found  at  Nimroud  and  Kouyunjik.     One  bears  the  name  of 


SHIP.    (Kouyunjik.) 


the  Khorsabad  king ;  and  to  none  of  the  specimens  discovered 
can  we  with  certainty  attribute  a  higher  antiquity  than  the 
time  of  that  monarch ;  although  some  fragments  in  the  shape 
of  a  dagger  from  a  hall  of  the  most  ancient  palace  of  Nimroud 
may  possibly  be  more  ancient.  The  gems  and  cylinders  still 
frequently  found  in  ruins  prove  that  the  Assyrians  were  very 
skilful  in  engraving  on  stone.  Many  of  their  seals  are  most 
delicately  and  minutely  ornamented  with  various  sacred  de- 
vices and  with  the  forms  of  animals.     Those  of  the  Baby- 


Pliuy  attributes  the  mvention  of  glass  to  the,  Phoenicians. 


330  ASIA. 

lonians  are  mentioned  by  Herodotus,  who  also  describes  the 
heads  of  the  walking-sticks  in  the  shape  of  an  apple,  a  rose,  a 
lily,  or  an  eagle.  These  ornaments  were  probably  carved  in 
ivajy  or  in  precious  stones. 

Herodotus  alludes  to  the  extreme  fertility  of  Assyria,  and 
to  its  rich  harvests  of  com,  the  seeyi  producing,  according  to 
his  account,  two  or  three  hundred-fold.  The  blades  of  wheat 
and  barley  grew  to  full  four  fingers  in  breadth ;  and,  such  was 
the  general  richness  of  Babylonia,  that  it  supplied  the  Persian 
king  and  his  vast  army  with  subsistence  for  four  months  in  the 
year,  whilst  the  rest  of  the  Persian  dominions  furnished  pro- 
visions for  the  other  eight.  This,  it  must  be  remembered,  was 
when  the  country  had  lost  its  independence,  and  had  been  re- 
duced to  a  mere  province,  I  have  already  described  the  mode 
of  irrigation  by  artificial  canals  derived  from  the  Tigris  and 
Euphrates,  intersecting  the  whole  of  the  lower  part  of  Meso- 
potamia, and  the  country  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  rivers  in 
the  upper.  The  Assyrians  also  used  machines  for  raising 
water  from  the  river,  or  from  the  canals,  when  it  could  not  be 
led  into  the  fields  through  common  conduits.  They  were  gen- 
erally obliged  to  have  recourse  to  this  artificial  mode  of  irri- 
gation, as  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  and  consequently  those  of 
the  canals,  were  high  above  the  level  of  the  water,  except 
during  the  spring.  At  that  season  of  the  year  the  streams, 
swollen  by  the  melting  of  the  snows  in  the  Armenian  hills,  or 
by  violent  rains,  overflowed  their  beds. 

The  only  representation  of  an  agricultural  instnmient  yet 
found  in  Assyria  or  Babylonia  is  that  of  a  plough,  on  a  black 
stone  from  the  ruins  opposite  Mosul.  From  the  form  of  the 
arrow-headed  characters  in  the  inscription,  this  appears  to  be 
a  Babylonian  relic.  The  plough  somewhat  resembles  in  shape 
that  now  in  common  use.  On  the  same  tablet  is  an  altar  or 
low  building,  before  which  stands  a  priest,  apparently  perform- 
ing some  religious  ceremony ;  near  him  are  the  sacred  tree,  a 
bull,  a  heap  of  corn  or  a  hill,  a  palm-tree,  and  a  square  instru- 


DISCOVEEIES    m   NINEVEH. 


331 


ment  with  a  small  circle  or  wheel  at  each  comer,  the  nature 
of  which  I  am  unable  to  determine. 

Sesame,  millet,  and  corn,  formed  anciently,  as  they  still  do, 
the  principal  agricultural  produce  of  Assyria.  Herodotus,  who 
had  visited  this  fruitful  country,  says  that  he  dares  not  men- 


EMBLEMS  OF  THE  DEITY.     (N.  W.  Palace,  Nimroud.) 


tion  the  height  to  which  the  sesame  and  millet  grew.  The 
only  oil  used  in  the  country,  according  to  the  historian,  wag 
extracted  from  sesame ;  and  such  is  now  the  case,  although 
the  olive-tree  is  cultivated  at  the  foot  of  the  Kurdish  hills. 


332 


ASIA. 


The  palm-tree  whilst  growing  in  the  greatest  abundance 
within  the  ancient  limits  of  the  Assyrian  empire,  does  not 
now  produce  fruit  further  north  than  the  junction  of  the  Lesser 
Zab  with  the  Tigris.  It  is  not,  indeed,  found  on  the  banks 
of  the  latter  river  more  than  sixty  miles  above  Baghdad  ;  but 


A   TEMPLE   OR  FISHING   PAVILION   SUPPORTED  BY  PROTO-IONIC   COLUMNS,   AND 
STANDING  IN  A  RIVER  OR  ARTIFICIAL  LAKE.      (Khorsabad.) 


this  is  chiefly  owing  to  the  absence  of  cultivation  and  settled 
habitations.  It  is  raised  inland  as  far  north  as  the  small  town 
of  Taza  Kurmali,  which  takes  its  name,  "  the  place  of  fresh 
dates,"  from  the  ripe  fruit  being  there  first  met  with  on  the 
road  from  Constantinople.  A  line  drawn  due  west  from  this 
place  to  the  Mediterranean  would,  I  think,  give  the  limits  of 
the  growth  of  the  fruit-producing  palm.     The  unproductive 


DISCOVERIES   m  NINEVEH.  •     333 

tree  will  grow  and  will  attain  a  considerable  size  much  further 
north,  even  on  the  southern  coast  of  Asia  Minor,  and  in  the 
south  of  Italy  and  Dalmatia.  That  the  fruit  was  exported  in 
large  quantities  from  the  Babylonian  plains,  as  it  now  is,  as  an 
article  of  commerce,  may  be  inferred  from  palm  wine,  or  spirits 
extracted  from  the  date,  being  mentioned  by  Herodotus  as  the 
principal  cargo  brought  by  rafts  to  Babylon  from  Armenia. 
"We  find,  also,  what  is  probably  palm  wine  included  in  the  sta- 
tistical table  of  Karnak  among  the  tribute  offered  to  the 
Egyptians  by  the  Tahai. 

As  lofty  mountains  rise  abruptly  from  the  plains,  opposite 
degrees  of  temperatm'e  mark  the  climate  of  Assyria.  The 
soil  being  naturally  rich,  its  produce  is  consequently  as  varied 
as  plentiful.  The  plains  watered  by  the  rivers  are  parched  by 
a  heat  almost  rivalling  that  of  the  torrid  zone.  Aromatic 
herbs,  yielding  perfumes  celebrated  by  the  poets,  indigo,  opium, 
and  the  sugar-cane,*  besides  corn  and  grain  of  various  kinds, 
and  cotton  and  flax  in  abundance,  were  raised  in  this  region. 
In  the  cooler  temperature  of  the  hiUs,  the  mulberry  afforded 
sustenance  to  the  silk-worm,  and  many  kinds  of  fruit  trees 
flourished  in  the  valleys.  When  Herodotus  says  that  the  As- 
syrians did  not  cultivate  the  vine,  the  olive,  or  the  fig,  he  must 
aUude  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  plains.  The  vine  is  represented 
in  the  sculptures  ;  and  that  the  Assyrians  not  only  enjoyed  the 
various  luxuries  which  those  trees  afford,  but  possessed  the 
trees  themselves,  we  learn  from  their  own  general,  Rabshakeh, 
who  described  his  country  to  the  Jews  as  a  "  land  of  corn  and 
wine,  a  land  of  bread  and  vineyards,  a  land  of  olive  oil  and 
of  honey."  Among  the  objects  of  tribute  brought  to  the 
Egyptians  from  the  Tahai,  and  from  Naharaina,  are  corn, 
bread,  palm  wine,  wine,  honey,  incense,  and  conserve  of  dates. 

*  Indigo  and  opium  are  still  cultivated  in  the  south  of  Baghdad.  The 
sugar-canes,  which,  in  the  time  of  the  Persian  kings,  covered  the  banks  of 
the  rivers  of  Susiana,  have  now  disappeared ;  and  this  plant  is  no  longer 
cultivated  to  any  extent  to  the  east  of  the  Euphrates. 


334  ASIA. 


STORY   OF  ALDIBARAN. 

Many  years  since,  there  reigned  in  Persia  a  good  king 
named  Shah  Abas,  who  was  dethroned  and  put  to  death  by  an 
ambitious  and  unnatural  brother.  The  late  monarch  left  an 
only  son,  yet  a  child,  who  also  came  veryliear  being  destroyed, 
but  was  saved  by  the  kindness  and  presence  of  mind  of  his 
father's  prime  minister  and  devoted  friend,  who  eluded  the 
cruelty  of  the  usurper,  and  fled  with  the  boy  to  a  distant  part 
of  the  empire.  This  worthy  man  then  assumed  the  life  of  a 
hermit,  taking  up  his  abode  in  a  cave  among  the  mountains, 
and  passed  his  time  among  his  books  and  in  the  education  of 
the  young  prince,  who  he  hoped  and  believed  would  one  day 
recover  his  lost  rights  and  ascend  the  throne.  He  had  taken 
the  precaution  when  he  fled  to  carry  with  him  an  abundance 
of  wealth ;  and  though  he  lived  an  austere  life  himself,  he 
took  care  that  the  boy  should  be  as  weU  attended  to  as  ciicum- 
stances  would  permit,  and  that  he  should  be  in  want  of  nothing 
that  might  conduce  to  his  real  welfare. 

In  the  same  neighborhood  was  a  splendid  castle,  in  which 
lived  a  powerful  and  renowned-  emir,  whose  family  consisted 
of  an  only  daughter.  The  castle  was  often  the  scene  of  mirth 
and  festivity,  for,  as  its  owner  possessed  great  wealth,  and  was 
of  a  kind  and  generous  disposition,  frequent  visits  were  made 
to  it  by  the  neighboring  emirs  and  nobles,  who  partook  of  its 
hospitality  and  indulged  in  the  sports  of  hunting  and  hawking. 
The  hermit  was  always  a  welcome  guest  at  the  establishment ; 
his  courtly  manners  and  instructive  conversation  delighted  the 
emir,  who  often  wondered  what  had  induced  a  man  of  such 
accomplishments  to  retire  as  he  had  from  the  world,  though 
he  was  too  polite  to  question  him  as  to  his  former  life,  or  as  to 
the  motive  that  had  impelled  him  to  turn  hermit.  However, 
his  visits  to  the  emir  were  rare ;  for,  as  we  said  before,  he 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  study  and  meditation,  and 


STOEY   OF  ALDIBAKAN.  335 

in  the  instruction  of  his  young  companion,  who  grew  up  to 
manhood  accomplished  in  body  and  mind,  and  a  favorite  with 
every  one. 

Aldibaran,  for  so  was  he  called,  passed  a  great  portion  of 
his  time  at  the  castle,  and  began  to  be  looked  upon  as  part  of 
the  family ;  mingling  in  all  the  festivities  and  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  visitors  who  frequented  its  halls.  The 
hermit  was  well  pleased  at  this,  and  encouraged  him  in  it ;  for 
as  he  confidently  looked  forward  to  the  day  when  he  should 
ascend  the  throne,  he  knew  that  such  society  would  be  of  ad- 
vantage to  him,  and  assist  in  giving  him  that  grace  and 
demeanor  which  would  be  suitable  to  his  future  state.  But 
nature,  in  this  respect,  had  been  bountiful  to  him,  for  he  had 
an  amenity  of  manner  and  sweetness  of  disposition  which  ren- 
dered him  attractive  to  every  one.  This  was  heightened,  too, 
by  a  certain  dignity  which  sprung  from  a  consciousness  of  his 
high  rank,  for  his  protector  had  early  imparted  to  him  the 
secret  of  his  birth  and  royal  title,  impressing  upon  him,  how- 
ever, the  importance  of  dividging  it  to  no  one. 

The  emir's  daughter,  also,  by  this  time  had  grown  to  wo- 
wanhood.  Zelume,  for  such  was  her  name,  was  distinguished 
for  beauty  and  intelligence,  and  possessed,  withal,  so  sweet  a  dis- 
position that  every  one  loved  her.  She  was  the  idol  of  her  father, 
who  took  a  pride  in  making  her  acquainted  with  his  numer- 
ous friends,  and  in  beholding  the  effect  which  her  rare  love- 
liness and  accomplishments  produced ;  for  wherever  she  went 
or  with  whomsoever  she  mingled  she  was  without  a  rival. 
Such  amiable  traits  were  not  lost  on  Aldibaran,  who  became 
strongly  attached  to  her  ;  nor  was  his  love  unrequited,  for  the 
young  lady,  who  was  thrown  a  good  deal  in  his  society,  could 
not  be  insensible  to  his  good  qualities,  and  thus  there  grew  up 
between  them  a  mutual  affection  which  the  emir  and  hermit 
both  looked  upon  with  complacency. 

Meanwhile,  the  usurping  king  of  Persia  drew  near  his  end. 
The  crown  which  he  had  so  wickedly  gained  had  not  brought 


336  ASIA. 

with  it  much  satisfaction ;  he  had  been  haunted  continually 
with  remorse  for  his  past  crimes,  and  now,  when  about  to  die, 
a  secret  presentiment  warned  him  that  the  throne  was  not  to 
remain  long  in  his  family,  but  that  the  lost  prince  would  some 
day  return  to  reassert  his  rights  and  take  vengeance  on  his 
wrong-doers.  He,  therefore,  called  his  son,  Shiraz,  to  his  bed- 
side, and  thus  spake : 

"  My  son,"  said  he,  "  you  know  by  what  means  it  was 
that  I  became  possessed  of  my  crown,  and  it  is  needless  to  say 
any  thing  further  on  the  subject ;  but  I  must  tell  you  that 
when  I  made  way  with  your  uncle,  it  was  my  intention  to 
have  destroyed  your  cousin  also,  knowing  that  while  he  lived 
my  throne  would  never  be  secure.  I  was  defeated,  however, 
in  my  design,  by  an  old  counsellor  who  fled  with  the  child, 
and  thus  saved  his  life.  I  have  made  search  for  him  these 
many  years,  but  have  never  succeeded  in  finding  him ;  yet 
certain  I  am  that  he  is  alive  and  that  your  authority  will  never 
be  secure  while  this  is  the  case,  as  I  have  a  secret  presentiment 
that  he  will  appear  and  give  you  trouble.  I  have  lately  heard 
that  the  old  counsellor,  his  protector,  has  taken  the  disguise 
of  a  hermit,  and  this  may  be  of  some  use  to  you  in  finding  out 
the  prince's  whereabouts ;  and  the  fact  also  of  your  cousin 
being  precisely  of  the  same  age  with  yourself  and  bearing  a 
strong  resemblance  to  you.  I  know  that  you  are  wise  and 
energetic  ;  do  not  then  lose  a  moment,  but  make  diligent  search 
throughout  your  dominions,  and  try  to  find  out  and  destroy 
your  most  deadly  foe." 

Soon  after  the  old  king  died,  and  scarcely  were  the  funeral 
rites  over  before  Shiraz  took  measures  to  follow  his  father's 
advice.  Having  arranged  his  affairs,  he  put  on  the  habit  of  a 
knight,  and,  unaccompanied  by  any  one,  made  a  journey  over 
his  territories.  He  was  many  months  thus  engaged,  travelling 
from  place  to  place  and  making  inquiry  of  all  persons  who 
would  be  likely  to  give  him  any  information  as  to  the  individr 
uals  he  was  in  pursuit  of.     But  for  a  long  while  his  efforts 


STOEY  OF  ALDIBAEAN.  337 

were  fruitless,  yet  he  continued  still  to  prosecute  his  search 
with  unabated  ardor. 

In  the  meanwhile  tilings  went  on  quietly  and  prosperously 
at  the  emir's  castle.  The  emir  attended  to  his  affairs,  and 
dispensed  his  usual  hospitality  to  his  friends,  delighted  above 
all  at  the  happiness  of  his  beloved  daughter,  and  well  pleased 
that  she  had  placed  her  affections  on  so  worthy  an  object ; 
whilst  the  hermit  spent  his  time  chiefly  in  his  cell,  engaged  in 
study  and  meditation. 

One  afternoon,  a  little  before  sunset,  the  emir  and  his 
daughter  and  Aldibaran  were  seated  on  the  terrace  enjoying 
the  pleasant  breeze  from  the  mountains,  and  the  beautiful  and 
extensive  view  which  the  place  afforded.  Presently  a  horse- 
man was  seen  approaching ;  he  stopped  at  the  gate,  and  sent 
a  message  by  the  porter  to  the  emir,  asking  him  if  he  could 
give  shelter  tiU  the  next  day  to  a  weary  traveller.  The  emir, 
even  at  the  distance  he  was  at,  perceived  something  noble  in 
the  air  of  the  horseman,  and  proceeded  to  the  gate  to  welcome 
him. 

"  Sir,"  said  he,  embracing  the  stranger,  "  my  castle  and 
all  it  contains  are  welcome  to  you,  not  only  for  this  one  night, 
but  for  as  long  a  time  as  you  think  proper  to  honor  me  with 
your  company :  this  common  hospitality  would  require  at  my 
hands  ;  but  I  perceive  in  your  appearance  and  demeanor  some- 
thing far  more  dignified  than  a  common  traveller,  and,  more 
than  that,  a  striking  resemblance  to  one  of  my  dearest 
friends." 

The  stranger  started  when  he  heard  this,  for  it  was  Shiraz, 
the  young  king,  in  pursuit  of  his  rival ;  however,  he  soon  re- 
covered from  his  surprise,  and  thus  returned  answer : 

"  My  most  worthy  host,"  said  he,  "  your  beautiful  palace 

is  a  fit  residence  for  such  a  courtly  and  illustrious  emir,  and  I 

shall  count  it  one  of  the  happiest  events  of  my  life  to  have 

passed  a  night  under  your  roof;  but  of  this  friend  of  whom 

15 


338  ASIA. 

you  speak,  pray  tell  me  who  is  he,  and  where  is  he  to  be  found, 
and  is  there  a  possibility  of  my  seeing  him  ?  " 

"  Nothing  is  easier,"  replied  the  other ;  "for  yonder  he 
sits  on  the  terrace,  conversing  with  my  daughter ;  but  come, 
follow  me,  and  you  shall  soon  be  introduced  to  them  both." 
So  saying,  he  led  the  knight  inside  the  castle  and  into  the 
presence  of  Aldibaran  and  his  daughter.  They  received  him 
very  cordially ;  and  supper  soon  being  served,  they  sat  to- 
gether conversing,  and  enjoying  the  pleasant  summer  evening. 

The  stranger  knight  pleased  them  all  by  his  intelligence 
and  courtly  manners,  which  showed  that  he  was  evidently  a 
person  of  high  rank.  All  were  struck  with  the  resemblance 
he  bore  to  Aldibaran,  with  whom  he  became  very  intimate, 
putting  to  him  many  questions,  and  endeavoring  to  find  out 
who  he  was.  He  became  more  and  more  impressed  with  the 
idea  that  it  was  his  cousin,  and  congratulated  himself  that, 
after  so  much  labor  and  research,  he  had  now  discovered  him, 
and  had  him  in  his  power.  Their  ages  too  were  about  the 
same  ;  and  Shiraz  began,  in  as  artful  a  manner  as  he  could, 
to  try  to  find  out  where  he  was  born,  and  other  matters  of  his 
former  history.  These  questions  the  unsuspecting  Aldibaran 
answered  as  fully  as  he  could,  though  without  revealing  any 
thing  as  to  his  royal  birth  ;  and  told  the  stranger  that  his  early 
life  was  involved  in  some  mystery,  as  he  had  been  brought  to 
this  part  of  the  country  at  a  very  tender  age,  under  the  care 
and  protection  of  an  old  and  valued  friend,  who  now  passed 
his  life  in  the  neighborhood  as  a  hermit. 

At  the  word  hermit,  Shiraz  started ;  for  he  was  now  fully 
convinced  that  he  had  found  the  person  he  was  in  pursuit  of, 
and  resolved  not  to  leave  the  castle  till  he  had  fulfilled  the  pur- 
pose of  his  journey,  and  his  father's  dying  advice.  He  there- 
fore told  the  young  man  that,  among  other  studies,  he  had 
spent  much  of  his  youth  in  that  of  astrology ;  and  that  he  in- 
tended to  pass  the  night  on  one  of  the  towers  watching  the 
stars,  and  would  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if  he  would  honor  him 


STOEY  OF  ALDEBAEAN.  339 

with  his  company.  Aldibaran  very  graciously  accepted  the 
invitation,  telling  the  stranger  that  nothing  would  afford  him 
greater  pleasure  ;  and  that  he  would  meet  him  on  the  tower 
about  midnight,  for  he  had  in  the  meanwhile  a  little  business 
to  attend  to  with  his  friend  the  hermit,  which  would  not  detain 
him  long.  The  stranger  now  bid  the  company  good-night,  and 
was  escorted  to  the  tower  by  one  of  the  servants,  and  the  emir 
and  his  daughter  retired  to  their  apartments. 

Meanwhile,  Aldibaran  proceeded  to  the  hermit,  whom  he 
found  waiting  for  him  sitting  by  a  lamp  reading  some  papers. 
Having  despatched  his  business,  he  told  the  old  man  that  the 
castle  had  been  enlivened  with  the  presence  of  a  most  courtly 
and  agreeable  knight,  with  whose  society  the  emir  and  his 
daughter,  as  well  as  himself,  had  been  charmed ;  and  what 
was  most  singular,  that  he  was  of  the  same  age,  and  bore  a 
striking  resemblance  to  himself.  He  informed  him  further, 
that  the  stranger  had  retired  to  the  battlements  to  watch  the 
stars,  and  had  exacted  from  him  a  promise  to  meet  him  there 
about  midnight ;  and  as  the  hour  was  now  come,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  depart  and  join  him. 

The  hermit  on  hearing  this  turned  pale,  and  begged  his 
young  friend  to  remain  with  him  during  the  night,  and,  by  no 
means,  to  have  an  interview  with  the  stranger ;  "  for,  to  tell 
you  the  truth,"  continued  he,  "  I  have  a  strong  suspicion  that 
this  agreeable  visitor  is  none  other  than  your  cousin,  who  has 
come  here  on  purpose  to  destroy  you.  Take  my  advice,  then, 
and  do  not  enter  the  castle  while  he  remains,  much  less  trust 
yourself  with  him  on  the  battlements." 

Aldibaran  smiled  at  what  he  thought  his  friend's  timidity, 
telling  him  he  was  sure  his  suspicions  were  misplaced ;  "  be- 
sides," said  he,  "  it  would  be  cowardly  in  me  to  fear  to  meet  a 
single  man  unattended ;  and  having  given  him  my  word,  I 
must  stand  by  it  at  all  hazards." 

"  Very  well,"  replied  the  hermit ;  "  you  may  be  right,  and 
I  may  be  wrong ;  but  take  this  sword  with  you,  and  carry  it 


340  ASIA. 

concealed  under  your  robe  :  it  may  be  of  use  to  you,  and  can 
do  you  at  least  no  harm ;  and  be  sure  to  return  to  me  as  early 
in  the  morning  as  possible,  and  let  me  know  all  that  has  tran- 
spired." 

The  young  man  took  the  weapon,  and  bidding  his  friend 
good  evening,  repaired  to  the  appointed  place.  He  found  the 
stranger  pacing  the  tower  with  an  air  of  some  impatience  ;  he 
saluted  him,  remarking  what  a  beautiful  night  it  was,  and 
with  a  smile  inquired  if  the  stars  were  auspicious. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  other,  sternly ;  "  to  me  they  are  aus- 
picious, for  the  very  hour  has  arrived  when  I  am  to  become 
rid  of  a  hated  enemy  and  rival — the  disturber  of  my  father's 
peace  and  the  plotter  against  my  throne.  I  am  Shiraz,  king 
of  Persia,  and  thou  I  know  art  Aldibaran  :  ask  Allah,  then, 
to  pardon  thy  sins,  for  by  this  good  sword  that  I  now  draw 
thy  last  hour  has  come." 

"  It  is  true,"  replied  the  youth,  "  that  I  am  Aldibaran,  but 
wherein  I  have  injured  thee  I  know  not ;  but  this  I  know,  that 
thy  father  slew  mine,  and  deprived  him  of  his  throne,  seeking, 
too,  for  many  years,  to  take  my  life  also  ;  but,  notwithstanding 
all  this,  I  bear  no  malice  to  his  son,  and  am  still  willing  to  be 
at  peace  with  thee,  especially  as  thou  art  our  guest,  whom  it 
is  my  duty  to  shield  and  protect." 

"  Protect ! "  cried  the  other,  "  what  protection  need  I  from 
one  whom  I  have  in  my  power,  and  whose  last  hour  is  come  ?  " 
and  so  saying  he  made  a  thrust  at  Aldibaran,  who  slipped  aside 
and  eluded  the  weapon,  at  the  same  time  throwing  off  his  robe 
and  drawing  his  own  sword. 

They  fought  for  some  time  desperately,  and  Shiraz,  making 
one  last  effort,  rushed  on  his  foe,  and,  receiving  the  blade  in 
his  heart,  fell  dead.  Aldibaran  then  hastily  descended  from 
the  tower,  and  proceeded  to  the  cell  of  the  hermit,  who  had 
not  yet  retired  to  rest. 

"  My  father,"  said  he,  "  you  were  right  about  that  stran- 
ger :  he  has  turned  out  to  be  the  person  you  took  him  for." 


STOET  OF  ALDIBAEAN. 


341 


"  And  pray,"  replied  the  other,  "  what  was  the  object  of 
the  interview  he  sought  with  you  ?    "What  did  he  want  ?  " 

"  He  wanted  my  life  ! "  answered  the  youth,  "  and  has  lost 
his  own,  which  I  was  compelled  to  take  in  self-defence." 

"  And  is  he  then  dead?"  said  the  old  man. 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  other,  "  he  lies  on  the  top  of  yonder 
battlement  drenched  in  his  blood." 

"  Then,"  said  the  hermit,  "  the  hour  of  thy  deliverance  is 
at  last  come,  and  you  will  soon  resume  the  position  you  are 
truly  entitled  to,  and  of  which  you  have  been  so  long  and  un- 


m-i^,^, 


4dM 


ISPAHAK,    PERSIA. 


rlrsri 


justly  deprived.  Go  now  to  the  emir's  stables  and  mount  one 
of  his  fleetest  horses  ;  set  off  with  all  speed  for  Ispahan ;  show 
this  signet  ring  to  the  vizier :  tell  him  that  Shiraz,  the  young 
king,  is  dead,  that  the  old  minister  still  lives,  and  that  thou 
art  Aldibaran.  He  is  your  friend,  and  will  tell  you  what  to 
do  ;  but  be  careful  to  return  and  report  to  me  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible ;  be  back  in  ten  days  at  the  utmost." 


342  ASIA. 

The  young  man  kissed  the  hermit,  and  promised  faithfully 
to  fulfil  all  his  directions ;  and  proceeding  at  once  to  the 
stables  he  mounted,  one  of  the  swiftest  steeds,  and  started  for 
the  capital. 

In  the  morning  the  emir  and  his  daughter  were  up  early  to 
enjoy  the  pleasant  society  of  the  stranger  ;  but  after  waiting  a 
considerable  time  and  finding  he  did  not  appear,  they  sent  a 
servant  to  call  him.  Great  was  their  surprise  and  horror 
when  news  came  that  the  young  knight  was  lying  dead  on  the 
tower,  slain  by  some  unknown  hand. 

The  emir's  grief  and  anger  were  unbounded.  "  Who  can 
this  assassin  be,"  said  he,  "  who  has  dared  to  kill  a  guest  of 
mine — one  whom  it  was  my  duty  to  protect  the  moment  he 
crossed  my  threshold,  and  to  defend  whom  I  was  bound  to  lay 
down  my  own  life,  if  necessary  ?  But  he  shall  be  revenged ; 
for  no  pains  nor  cost  shall  be  spared  till  the  murderer  be  found 
out,  and  punished  as  he  deserves."  Diligent  search  was  made, 
but  no  clue  was  seen  by  which  the  criminal  could  be  discovered, 
though  it  was  soon  known  that  Aldibaran  was  missing ;  and 
that  the  weapon  by  which  the  bloody  deed  had  been  committed 
belonged  to  him.  Suspicion,  of  course,  fastened  upon  him, 
and  though  the  idea  of  such  a  thing  was  most  painful  to  the 
emir,  yet  he  could  not  shut  his  eyes  to  facts,  and  swore  he 
would  bring  the  perpetrator  to  justice  ;  for  the  saciped  rites  of 
hospitality  had  been  invaded,  and  the  criminal,  if  found  guilty, 
should  die,  even  if  he  were  his  own  son. 

The  beautiful  Zelume  was  in  despair :  she  besought  her 
father  with  tears  to  moderate  his  wrath  and  be  patient :  cer- 
tainly there  was  some  mistake ;  the  young  man  would  soon 
return,  and  explain  all,  for  whatever  were  the  proofs  against 
him  she  was  sure  that  Aldibaran  was  innocent. 

"  If  he  be  innocent,"  cried  the  emir,  "  why  has  he  fled  ?  and 
tell  me,  I  pray,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  bloody  sword  ?  " 

To  this  his  daughter  could  make  no  answer,  but  retired  to 
her  chamber  to  weep. 


STOEY   OF   AliDIBAKAN.  343 

In  the  mean  time  horsemen  had  been  despatched  in  all  di- 
rections in  search  of  Aldibaran,  but  no  traces  of  him  were  to 
be  found,  and  Zelume's  faith  in  his  innocence  began  to  waver, 
and  every  hour  of  his  absence  added  to  her  apprehension  and 
augmented  her  distress.  She  knew  not  who  to  look  to  for 
comfort ;  her  father's  rage  against  her  lover  was  so  intense 
that  she  almost  feared  to  speak  to  him,  and  every  one  in  the 
castle  naturally  partooS  of  his  feelings  more  or  less,  so  that 
she  seemed,  as  it  were,  to  stand  alone  as  the  friend,  and  con- 
fident of  one  who  was  regarded  by  all  as  a  detested  criminal. 
She  resolved  to  go  to  the  hermit  to  see  whether  he  could  give 
her  any  comfort,  or  impart  to  her  any  thing  that  might  tend  to 
clear  up  the  mystery.  She  accordingly  set  out  for  his  cell,  and 
found  him  sitting  calmly  in  front  of  his  abode  engaged  in  medi- 
tation. 

"  Good  hermit,"  said  she,  "  tell  us  where  is  Aldibaran,  for 
you  are  his  friend,  and  must  certainly  know  whither  he  has 
gone." 

"It  is  true,"  replied  the  old  man,  " that  I  am  his  friend, 
and  that  I  also  know  whither  he  has  gone ;  but  I  cannot  at 
present  reveal  it." 

"  Tell  me  at  least,"  continued  the  lady,  "  whether  he  is 
the  murderer  of  this  unhappy  stranger." 

"  No,"  said  the  other,  "  Aldibaran  is  no  murderer,  nor  did 
he  ever  in  his  life  inflict  wrong  on  any  one." 

"  Thanks,"  replied  Zelume,  "  for  what  you  have  told  me  ; 
you  have  taken  a  heavy  weight  from  my  heart." 

The  old  man  rose  up  and  took  her  by  the  hand.  "  Return 
to  thy  home  in  peace,"  said  he  ;  "  be  patient  and  put  thy  trust 
in  Heaven ;  for  if  I  read  thy  destiny  aright  much  happiness 
is  yet  in  store  for  thee." 

The  young  lady  bedewed  the  hermit's  hand  with  her  tears, 
and  returning  in  silence  to  the  castle,  retired  to  her  apartment. 

The  persons  who  had  been  sent  in  search  of  Aldibaran 
now  arrived,  but  no  tidings  of  him  were  discovered ;  where- 


344:  ASIA. 

upon  the  emir,  believing  that  the  hermit  was  an  accomplice  in 
the  bloody  deed,  gave  orders  that  he  should  be  apprehended 
and  put  to  death.  The  old  man  told  the  emir  not  to  be 
hasty,  nor  give  why  to  his  anger  in  thus  punishing  the  inno- 
cent, for  he  was  confident,  if  he  would  only  be  patient,  that 
the  young  man  would  appear  in  a  very  short  time,  and  show 
how  greatly  he  had  been  wronged  by  their  unjust  suspicions. 

"  It  is  now,"  said  he,  "  five  days  since  Aldibaran  has  dis- 
appeared ;  if  he  does  not  return  in  five  days  more,  I  am  willing 
to  pay  the  penalty  and  suffer  in  his  stead." 

"  Be  it  so,"  replied  the  emir,  "  I  will  take  thee  at  thy 
word ; "  whereupon  the  hermit  was  placed  in  confinement, 

Zelume  passed  nearly  all  her  time  on  the  tower,  straining 
her  eyes  and  looking  in  all  directions  for  some  sign  of  her  lover 
appearing.  When  she  thought  of  the  danger  the  good  old  man 
was  in,  and  that  if  the  time  should  elapse  and  Aldibaran  not 
appear,  that  he  would  have  to  die,  she  was  overwhelmed  with 
sorrow  ;  but  the  hopeful  words  he  had  spoken  to  her  at  their 
last  interview  still  cheered  her  up,  and  she  believed  that  he 
would  not  have  specified  to  the  emir  a  fixed  time  for  her  lover's 
arrival,  unless  he  had  some  good  grounds  for  doing  so. 

Time  soon  slipped  by,  and  the  tenth  day  arrived ;  but,  as 
yet,  there  was  no  appearance  of  Aldibaran.  Zelume  stood  on 
the  tower  looking  upon  the  distant  horizon,  and  on  the  battle- 
ments were  the  emir  with  his  friends  and  retainers,  all  anxious- 
ly gazing.  About  sunset  he  gave  orders  to  have  the  hermit 
brought  out  to  undergo  his  sentence ;  a  rope  was  round  his 
neck,  and  he  was  to  be  hung  from  the  castle  wall  as  a  terror 
to  evU  doers,  and  a  propitiatory  sacrifice  to  violated  hospitality. 
Hundreds  of  eyes  were  fastened  on  the  old  man,  and  all  won- 
dered at  the  firmness  he  displayed. 

Suddenly,  among  the  mountains,  were  heard  the  strains  of 
distant  music ;  every  one  looked  in  the  direction  from  which 
it  proceeded,  and  a  vast  army  was  now  seen  defiling  into  the 
plain,  with  streamers  and  bright  armor. 


LIFE   IN   THE   EAST  INDIES.  345 

"  Wlio  can  this  powerful  foe  be?"  said  the  gazers,  "  who 
thus  unexpectedly  invades  us  ?  " 

"  This  music,"  answered  the  emir,  "  is  not  that  of  a  warlike 
host ;  it  is  soft  and  pleasant,  such  as  belongs  to  a  gay  proces- 
sion or  joyous  festival." 

The  army  now  covered  the  plain  and  approached  the  cas- 
tle ;  and  from  the  front  ranks  there  rode  forth  a  figure  of  com- 
manding appearance,  mounted  on  a  beautiful  steed,  with  a 
standard-bearer  by  his  side. 

"  Mark  the  chief,"  said  the  lookers-on ;  "we  wiU  now 
know  what  all  this  means  and  who  this  noble  stranger  is." 

"  'Tis  Aldibaran  !  "  cried  Zelume. 

"  *Tis  Aldibaran  ! "  cried  a  hundred  voices  on  the  battle- 
ments ;  and  all  appealed  to  the  hermit  to  know  if  it  were 
not  so. 

"  *Tis  the  king  of  Persia,"  answered  the  old  man  ;  "  see, 
the  royal  standard  is  unrolled,  and  let  all  present  do  it  hom- 
age ; "  whereupon  shouts  upon  shouts  rent  the  air. 

The  emir  and  his  friends  now  descended  to  the  gate  and 
prostrated  themselves  before  Aldibaran ;  for  he  it  truly  was, 
who,  on  reaching  Ispahan,  had  succeeded  in  regaining  his 
crown  without  difficulty,  and  was  now  returned  to  explain 
every  thing  and  claim  his  beloved  Zelume.  Their  marriage 
was  celebrated  that  night  amid  great  rejoicings  and  festivities, 
and  after  spending  a  few  days  at  the  castle,  they  returned  in 
triumph  to  the  capital,  where  they  reigned  happily  many 
years ;  the  hermit  being  reinstated  in  his  old  post  of  prime 
minister. 


LIFE  IN  THE  EAST  INDIES. 

It  is  all  very  fine  and  poetical  to  read  about  cloudless 

eastern  skies,  shadowy  palm-trees,  murmuring  rills,  and   so 

forth.     These  undoubtedly  seem  very  inviting  and  charming, 

as   viewed  through  the  medium  of  gaily-tinted  pictures  .or 

:  15* 


34:6 


Asia. 


books,  the  production  of  ready  pens  and  prolific  imaginations  ; 
but  once  substitute  the  reality  for  the  imagery,  and  the  fasci- 
nation vanishes  with  uncomfortable  rapidity.  Apart  from  the 
thermometer  at  90°  in  the  shade,  from  monsoons  with  inces- 
sant three-weeks'  torrents  of  rain ;  from  land-winds,  hot  and 
unhealthy  as  the  breath  of  a  furnace  ;  setting  aside  heat,  mos- 
quitoes, green  bugs,  sandflies,  insects,  and  vermin  of  all  de- 
scriptions, including  musk-rats,  bandicoots,  et  hoc  genus  omne 


— I  say,  apart  from  all  these  nuisances  of  life  in  the  East, 
from  which  we  are  happily  free,  there  are  others  even  more 
startling  and  perilous,  which  are  incidents  of  every-day  occur- 
rence. 

Fancy,  for  instance,  being  obliged  to  shake  your  boots 
every  time  you  put  them  on,  under  the  expectation  of  a  snake 


LIFE  IN  THE   EAST  INDIES.  347 

or  a  scorpion  or  a  centipede  tumbling  out ;  or  being  compelled 
to  look  under  your  pillow  every  night  with  a  like  dread. 
How  would  you  relish  moving  your  portmanteau  (supposed  to 
contain  cherished  papers,  letters,  portraits y.and  so  forth),  and 
finding,  to  your  utter  dismay,  the  bottom  and  the  whole  con- 
tents tumble  out,  one  mass  of  dust,  the  destructive,  speedy,  yet 
quiet  results  of  a  colony  of  white  ants,  within  the  space  of 
twenty-four  hours  ?  We  once  knew  a  lady  whose  white  satin 
shoes  were  utterly  destroyed  in  one  night.  What  would  you 
say,  or  rather  shout,  to  feel  your  body  covered  with  swarms 
of  large  red  ants,  whose  stings  produce  excruciating  agony  ?  or 
to  find  your  jams  and  jellies  ruined  by  cockroaches?  your 
beer,  in  corked  and  sealed  bottles,  flat  and  disgusting,  from  the 
contact  of  musk-rats  ?  your  nice  aromatic  cup  of  tea,  a  perfect 
flotilla  of  horrid  insects?  or  your  candle  extinguished  by  a 
bat?  I  reckon  that  no  American,  or,  for  that  matter,  any 
European,  would  relish  being  exposed  to  such  a  catalogue  of 
ills.  Nevertheless,  such  are  of  daily,  nay  hourly  occurrence 
in  many  parts  of  the  vast  continent  of  India  ;  and  when  we  re- 
flect on  this,  I  think  we  have  every  cause  to  be  thankful  for 
our  country  and  nationality. 

But  it  is  not  only  on  land  that  we  enjoy  the  advantage  ;  the 
rivers  and  seas,  lakes  and  tanks  of  India  abound  with  all  kinds 
of  reptiles  and  dangerous  things.  Leaving  out  sharks  and  al- 
ligators, we  may  simply  enumerate  water-snakes,  toads,  frogs, 
leeches,  etc.  As  for  frogs,  they  are  so  abundant  in  .some  In- 
dian tanks,  that  they  constitute  a  nuisance  of  themselves  dur- 
ing wet  weather.  Thousands  of  these  unsightly  reptiles  keep 
up  a  clamorous  concert,  producing  a  sound  similar  to 

"  Take  an  egg — Kill  a  duck," 

repeated  over  and  over  again  with  a  very  nasal  twang,  which, 
commencing  adagio,  gradually  rises  to  a  very  high  pitch,  the 
whole  having  a  running  bass  accompaniment  of  bull-frogs. 
But  these,  though  loathsome,  are  harmless ;    not  so  water- 


34:8  ASIA. 

snakes,  of  which  a  great  variety  exist — such,  at  least,  is  my 
opinion,  although  water-snakes  are  sometimes  supposed  to  be 
harmless.  Possibly  they  possess  various  degrees  of  venom  ; 
but  whether  or  not,  I  opine  that  few  things  can  be  more  dis- 
agreeable than  plunging  into  a  pleasant  cool  stream  on  a  very 
hot  day,  and  finding  yourself,  after  the  first  dive,  face  to  face 
with  a  nasty  venomous-looking  snake,  that  forthwith  sets  up 
hissing  like  a  goose. 

On  one  occasion,  a  large  water-snake  introduced  itself 
among  a  party  of  natives  engaged  in  their  morning  ablutions, 
at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  ghauts,  in  the  Sone.  A  cry  of 
alarm  being  raised,  an  idler  on  shore  seized  a  liUee  (large 
strong  club)  from  a  bystander,  and,  jumping  into  the  stream, 
attacked  the  unwelcome  intruder,  who  had  no  business  to  con- 
taminate the  waters  bathed  in  by  high-caste  natives.  The 
snake,  nothing  loth,  encountered  its  assailant,  and,  angrily 
erecting  its  head  in  the  air,  made  ready  to  give  battle.  In 
this  interval,  the  greater  number  of  bathers  had  betaken  them- 
selves to  the  shore,  or  scrambled  up  to  the  decks  of  the  near- 
est budgerow,  leaving  the  field  clear  to  the  two  opponents. 
With  protruded  fangs  the  angry  snake  waved  its  head  to  and 
fro,  watching  for  a  favorable  opportunity  to  strike  at  the  man ; 
but  this  opportunity  never  arrived.  In  the  interval,  the  spec- 
tators looked  on  with  breathless  anxiety,  although  the  issue  of 
like  combats,  invariably  terminated  in  favor  of  the  biped  aggres- 
sors. There  was  something  terrible  in  the  consciousness  that 
one  false  step  might  expose  the  man  to  the  deadly  fangs  of  the 
serpent,  and  that  a  bite  causing  an  aperture  not  much  larger 
than  what  might  be  produced  by  the  point  of  a  needle,  would 
result,  if  not  in  death,  in  intense  suffering  of  longer  or  shorter 
duration.  Moreover,  the  aggressor,  besides  being  out  of  his 
own  element,  had  to  contend  against  a  rapid  stream,  the  effects 
of  the  late  heavy  falls  of  rain.  Not  long,  however,  were  the 
lookers-on  kept  in  suspense.  The  cudgel  was  seen  flourishing 
in   the  sunlight,  and  then  descended  with  lightning  rapidity 


LIFE  EST  THE   EAST  ESTDTES. 


349 


upon  the  back  of  the  water-snake,  which  was  crippled  by  hav- 
ing its  back  broken  by  the  blow.  Still  the  venomous  creature 
managed  to  retreat  toward  the  opposite  bank,  where  the 
stream  ran  deeper  and  with  greater  velocity ;  but,  with  one 
hand  cudgelling  the  snake  and  swimming  with  the  other,  the 
Indian  followed  up  his  advantage,  amidst  loud  plaudits  from 
the  shore.     For  some  few  minutes  both  were  lost  to  sight  be- 


A  SECURE  RkTREAT. 


hind  a  projecting  angle  in  the  river ;  but  almost  immediately 
afterwards  the  man  reappeared,  holding  the  now  dead  reptile 
high  up  in  the  air.  On  bringing  the  snake  to  shore,  it  was 
found  to  be  one  of  an  ordinary  species  in  those  parts,  measur- 
ing about  seven  feet  in  length,  with  a  brown  glossy  back,  ^•ery 
slightly  marked,  and  white  as  milk  underneath.     All  the  peo- 


350  ASIA. 

pie  about  these  ghauts  are  expert  swimmers.  The  only  ap- 
parent inconvenience,  therefore,  experienced  by  the  Indian  was, 
that  he  seemed  to  be  rather  out  of  breath,  as  he  flung  the  snake 
high  upon  the  bank,  laughing  blithely  the  while  at  the  success 
of  his  exploit.  These  and  other  varieties  of  snakes  are  very 
plentiful  in  the  Jumna  and  other  tributaries  of  the  Ganges, 
though  they  are  seldom  to  be  encountered  in  the  last-named 
river. 

In  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  and  Gulf  of 
Siam,  water-snakes  are  more  frequently  to  be  met  with  than 
in  any  other  portion  of  the  globe :  neither  can  any  place  com- 
pete with  them  for  variety  in  size  and  color.  On  a  fine  day, 
with  a  gentle  four-knot  breeze  blowing,  we  have  witnessed  up- 
wards of  twenty  varieties  of  water-snakes  swimming  about  the 
vessel,  when  off  the  coast  of  Sumatra.  As  seen  in  the  water, 
with  the  sun  shining  upon  their  variegated  and  brilliant  coats, 
they  are  beautiful  to  behold.  That  there  are  amongst  them 
some  of  great  size  and  strength,  and  some  of  deadly  venom, 
we  have  no  hesitation  in  asserting  ;  in  proof  of  which  we  may 
be  permitted  to  introduce  the  following  brief  anecdotes,  found- 
ed upon  incontrovertible  testimony. 

In  the  year  1840,  when  the  writer  of  this  paper  was  so- 
journing at  Bangkok,  the  floating  capital  of  Siam,  the  follow- 
ing incident  occurred.  The  weather  had  been  for  some  weeks 
extremely  tempestuous,  and  a  very  heavy  fall  of  rain  in  the 
interior  had  caused  the  waters  of  the  Menam  to  rise  higher 
than  usual.  At  that  time  our  host,  Mr.  H.,  had  commenced 
building  a  fine  house  on  terra  jirma — the  only  one,  with  the 
exception  of  the  king's  palace  and  some  missionary  houses,  to 
be  met  with  in  Bangkok,  the  rest  of  the  population  being  com- 
pelled to  content  themselves  with  floating  domiciles,  erected 
upon  bamboo  rafts.  Our  dormitory  was  afloat,  and  here 
we  had  one  evening  assembled  prior  to  retiring  for  the  night. 

Owing  to  the  uncongenial  state  of  the  atmosphere  out  of 
doors,  we  had  been  subjected  to  the  visits  of  many  unwelcome 


LIFE   m   THE   EAST  INDIES.  '      361 

intruders :  rats  and  mice,  and  even  birds,  had  sought  shelter 
under  our  well-thatched  roof;  but  heretofore  we  had  been 
exempt  from  guests  of  a  more  dangerous  character.  It  wiU 
be  necessary  to  state  that  our  floating  home  consisted  of  one 
sitting  room,  with  a  railed-in  verandah  overlooking  the  river, 
a  large  bedroom  behind,  and  a  smaller  one  on  either  side. 
There  were  three  of  us  slept  here  every  night ;  and,  on  the 
eventful  occasion  in  question,  we  were  retiring  to  our  respec- 
tive couches,  when  Captain  M.  suddenly  started  back  from  the 
door  of  his  room,  with  well-timed  presence  of  mind  closing 
the  door  after  him.  On  inquiry  he  informed  us,  that  just  as 
he  was  about  entering,  his  eye  had  been  attracted  by  what 
at  first  appeared  to  be  a  large  bit  of  rope  coiled  up  on  the 
floor  ;  the  noise  of  his  footsteps,  and  the  glare  of  the  candle  he 
carried  in  his  hand,  seemed  to  have  aroused  the  slumberer ; 
an<J  to  his  horror  he  beheld  a  huge  snake  rapidly  uncoiling 
itself. 

This  being  the  state  of  affairs,  and  as  we  could  now  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  creature  fumbling  and  tumbling  about  in  its 
eagerness  to  escape,  we  deemed  it  most  prudent  to  jump  on 
shore,  and  rouse  Mr.  H.'s  servants,  who  were  sleeping  in  the 
warehouses  that  had  been  completed,  under  the  new  house 
then  building.  Speedily  arined  with  guns  and  sticks,  and 
lighted  by  flambeaux,  we  returned  to  investigate  the  nature  of 
this  nocturnal  disturber,  and  administer  speedy  retribution ; 
but  we  came  too  late.  With  the  assistance  of  its  power- 
ful tail  the  snake  had  succeeded  in  dislodging  a  good  stout 
plank,  and  so  made  its  exit — a  plank,  too,  that  no  ordinary 
man  could  have  dislodged  without  a  strong  effort  and  a  he^vy 
mallet. 

Thus  much  for  their  size  and  strength.  That  they  are 
venomous  the  records  of  the  royal  navy  too  clearly  indicate, 
when  they  tell  under  what  tragical  circumstances  the  doctor  of 
her  Majesty's  sloop  "  Wolf"  fell  a  victim  to  his  taste  for  natu- 
ral history ;    how,  when  the  crew  were  washing  the  ship's 


352  ASIA. 

decks  in  the  Madras  Roads,  a  water-snake  chanced  to  be  haul- 
ed up  in  a  bucket,  and,  being  incautiously  handled  by  the 
doctor,  injaicted  a  bite  that  occasioned  his  death  within  little 
more  than  an  hour. 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  SANDWICH  ISLANDS  * 

We  had  a  pleasant  run  for  two  days,  with  a  light  wind, 
and  hoped  next  morning  to  land  at  Kailua,  the  capital  of  the 
island  of  Owhyhee  ;  but  at  sunset  a  sudden  squall  struck  the 
little  vessel,  and  had  not  Ben  Tool  been  at  the  helm,  and  in- 
stantly luffed  up,  while  Jerry  and  I  let  fly  the  fore-sheet,  we 
should  in  all  probability  have  been  over,  and  become  food  for 
the  sharks.  It  came  on  very  dark  and  blowy ;  and  as-  it  was 
too  late  to  make  a  harbor,  we  gave  tlie  shore  a  wide  berth, 
and  ran  on.  The  next  forenoon,  when  we  made  the  land,  we 
found  that  we  were  to  the  southward  of  KaUua.  As  we  stood 
in,  Mr.  Callard  told  us  that  on  the  shore  of  Karakakooa  Bay, 
which  was  before  us.  Captain  Cook  met  his  death,  and  that  he 
would  show  us  the  very  spot  where  the  event  happened.  I 
felt  as  interested  as  if  I  were  about  to  visit  classic  ground. 
Often  and  often  as  I  had  been  reading  through  Cook's  Voyages 
with  delight,  I  little  thought  that  I  should  see  the  very  spots 
he  describes,  much  less  that  one  which  has  become  sacred  in 
our  memory.  Before  us  appeared  a  line  of  volcanic  cliffs,  of 
considerable  height,  the  land  rising  again  above  them,  covered 
with  the  richest  verdure ;  which  makes  the  summits  of  the 
rocky  and  lofty  mountains  beyond  appear  still  more  sterile  and 
uninviting.  To  the  right,  among  groves  of  palms  and  cocoa- 
nut-trees,  appeared  the  steep,  sloping  roofs  of  a  native  village  ; 
while  on  the  left,  where  the  cliffs  sink  toward  the  water,  and 

[*  The  Sandwich  islands,  like  the  Fiji  islands,  are  included  under  the 
head  of  Asia,  for  convenience  of  classification. — ^Ed.] 


AN  ADVENTUEE  IN   THE   SANDWICH   ISLANDS.         353 

groves  of  various  tropical  trees  appear  scattered  about,  our 
friend  pointed  out  to  us  the  very  spot  where  Cook  was  killed. 
The  cliffs  near  are  full  of  caves,  which  are  used  by  the  natives 
as  places  of  sepulture  ;  and  in  one  of  these,  it  is  said,  the  bones 
of  the  great  navigator  were  deposited  by  the  priests,  and  val- 
ued by  them  as  relics.  Our  friend  told  us  that  he  had  con- 
stantly made  inquiries  among  the  chiefs  and  natives  as  to  the 
affair,  and  that  he  is  certain  the  attack  on  the  whites  was  not 
premeditated.  Some  of  the  people  had  stolen  a  boat  for  the 
sake  of  the  nails  in  her,  with  which  they  wished  to  make  fish- 
hooks. He  landed  with  some  boats  to  recover  it.  While 
speaking  to  some  of  the  chiefs  on  the  subject,  a  number  of 
natives  collected ;  and  without  his  orders  the  marines,  believ- 
ing that  he  was  about  to  be  attacked,  fired.  A  chief  was 
killed.  The  natives  advanced,  and,  while  he  was  in  the  act 
of  ordering  his  people  to  desist,  he  was  pierced  through  the 
body  by  a  spear.  Grief  and  dismay  took  possession  of  the 
hearts  of  both  parties  when  he  fell.  By  the  then  superstitious 
natives  he  had  been  looked  upon  as  their  deified  and  long-lost 
sovereign,  E,ono.  This  Rono  (so  their  legend  asserted)  had  in 
a  fit  of  anger  killed  his  wife,  when,  repenting  of  the  act,  his 
senses  deserted  him,  and  he  went  about  the  islands  wrestling 
with  whomsoever  he  met.  At  last  he  took  his  departure  in  a 
vessel  of  a  strange  build,  and  no  one  knew  where  he  had  gone, 
but  all  expected  him  to  return.  When  Captain  Cook  appear- 
ed, the  priests  believed  that  he  was  Bono,  and,  clothing  him 
with  the  garments  kept  for  their  god,  led  him  to  their  temples, 
and  offered  sacrifices  to  propitiate  his  favor,  while  the  people 
prostrated  themselves  before  him — ^he  all  the  time  little  sus- 
pecting the  reason  of  the  honors  paid  him.  After  his  death 
some  of  the  people  naturally  doubted  that  he  could  be  Rono, 
but  others  still  afiirmed  that  he  was ;  and  it  is  believed  that 
the  priests  took  some  of  his  bones  and  preserved  them  in  a 
wicker  basket  covered  over  with  red  feathers,  which  are 
highly  prized  by  the  natives.     In  this  they  were  every  year 


:^ 


354:  ASIA. 

carried  about  from  temple  to  temple,  when  the  priests  went 
to  collect  tribute  of  the  people.  After  the  abolition  of  idol- 
atry in  1819,  it  is  not  known  what  become  of  them  ;  perhaps 
they  were  concealed  by  some  old  priest  who  still  clung  secret- 
ly to  the  ancient  faith. 

Talking  of  nails,  it  is  extraordinary  what  excellent  fish- 
hooks the  natives  will  manufacture  out  of  them.  They  pre- 
fer them  to  the  best  made  in  England.  They  still  set  a  high 
value  on  them ;  but  they  are  not  quite  so  simple-minded  as 
some  of  the  Friendly  islanders  we  heard  of,  who,  on  obtaining 
some  nails,  planted  them,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  large 
crop  from  the  produce  !  Scarcely  had  we  dropped  our  anchor 
when  we  were  surrounded  by  the  canoes  of  the  natives,  who 
wore  but  the  primitive  maro.  They  brought  off  bread-fruits, 
cocoa-nuts,  bananas,  and  other  products  of  the  soil,  in  the  hope 
of  thus  making  themselves  welcome.  One  of  them,  who 
spoke  English  tolerably,  undertook  to  pilot  our  boat  on  shore. 
We  were  eager  to  land.  As  we  pullcid  in,  a  number  of  men, 
women,  and  children  came  down  to  welcome  us.  The  men, 
like  those  in  the  canoes,  wore  the  taro,  but  the  women  were 
dressed  with  the  loose  blue  gowns  I  have  described,  and  with 
wreaths  of  flowers  round  their  heads.  We  ran  in  among  the 
masses  of  lava  which  lined  the  shore,  and  were  kindly  helped 
by  the  people  to  land.  We  observed  that  they  were  all  espe- 
cially grave,  for  nowhere  are  more  merry  creatures  found  than 
the  native  women.  As  we  walked  along  they  followed  us  in 
silence.  At  length  our  guide  stopped  and  pointed  to  the 
ground  on  which  we  stood. 

"  There,  white  men — ^there,  friends — ^there  it  was  your 
great  sea  chieftain  fell."  He  repeated,  we  found,  the  same 
words  in  his  own  language.  The  natives  listened  to  what  he 
said,  and  then  hung  their  heads  ashamed,  as  if  they  had  been 
guilty  of  the  sad  deed.  We  broke  off  several  pieces  of  the 
lava  from  about  the  spot,  to  take  to  our  friends  at  home,  and 
sent  them  on  board  the  schooner.     We  were  to  accompany 


AI^  ADVENTIJKE   IN  THE   SANDWICH   ISLANDS. 


355 


the  missionary  overland  to  Kailua,  where  the  schooner  was  to 
meet  us.  After  the  missionary  had  spoken  to  the  people,  we 
were  anxious  to  proceed  on  our  journey,  and  one  of  the  princi- 
pal natives,  who  lived  a  few  miles  to  the  north,  insisted  that 
we  should  remain  at  his  hut  for  the  night ;  and  we,  according- 
ly, gladly  accompanied  him.  We  found  the  feast  preparing 
outside  the  door  in  the  usual  oven.     Knowing  that  English- 


MATAVAI   BAT,   SANDWICH   ISLANDS. 


men  have  an  objection  to  eat  dogs,  he  had  killed  a  fatted  pig. 
The  oven  was  a  simple  affair.  A  hole  was  dug  in  the  earth, 
in  which  a  large  fire  was  lighted  upon  some  stones,  till  all  the 
earth  round  was  hot ;  piggy  was  then  put  in,  and  the  hole  was 
covered  up  with  loose  earth  ;  clouds  of  steam  then  issued  from 
the  earth,  and  when  no  more  was  perceptible  the  meat  was 
declared  to  be  cooked  pro*perly.  We  all  sat  round  on  mats  in 
the  primitive  fashion,  the  food  being  placed  before  us  either  in 
calabashes  or  on  large  leaves.     Instead  of  bread  we  had  the 


356  ASIA. 

bread-fruit.  It  has  somewhat  the  flavor  of  bread,  and  answers 
its  purpose,  but  has  neither  the  appearance  nor  consistence  of 
our  staff  of  life.  It  is  about  the  size  of  the  shaddock,  and, 
when  fresh  gathered,  the  flavor  of  the  citron  ;  but  it  is  always 
eaten  baked,  when  it  has  the  solidity  of  a  roasted  chestnut. 
Besides  these  luxuries,  we  had  some  fish  nicely  cooked,  which 
we  ate  with  the  thick  interior  of  the  cocoa-nut,  which  may  truly 
be  called  the  cream,  while  the  juice  served  to  quench  our 
thirst.  We  had  a  number  of  visitors,  who  all,  both  men  and 
women,  chatted  away  most  merrily,  especially  the  women, 
who  kept  up  a  continual  peal  of  laughter.  At  night  the  hut 
was  lighted  up  with  chips  of  a  resinous  wood,  called  kukia, 
which  were  stuck  all  round  on  the  posts  which  supported  the 
roof;  and  when  we  expressed  a  wish  to  retire  to  rest,  mats 
were  hung  up  to  partition  off  our  sleeping  chambers. 

It  is,  I  find,  impossible  to  describe  aU  the  interesting  habits 
and  customs  we  observed  of  this  primitive  people.  The  next 
day  about  noon,  we  found  ourselves,  on  issuing  from  a  grove 
of  cocoa-nut-trees,  on  the  shore  of  a  beautiful  bay,  with  high 
black  rocks  running  out  on  either  side,  and  a  yeUow,  sandy 
beach.  From  the  way  the  sea  broke,  first  with  great  violence, 
and  then  a  second  time  with  diminished  force,  there  were  evi- 
dently two  lines  of  coral  reefs,  one  without  the  other.  A  num- 
ber of  people  were  seated  on  the  rocks  watching  with  great 
interest  what  was  going  forward.  Some  men,  women,  and 
children  were  in  the  water,  while  others  with  their  boards, 
about  a  foot  wide  and  four  feet  long,  in  their  hands  were  pre- 
paring to  follow  them.  Placing  the  boards  on  the  water,  they" 
threw  themselves  on  them,  and  then  swam  out,  diving  jmder 
the  breakers  of  the  inner  bar,  and  appearing  on  the  in-shore 
side  of  the  outer  one.  The  great  art  appeared  to  be,  to  re- 
main on  the  steep  slope  of  the  outer  sea  roller  as  it  swept  ma- 
jestically on  toward  the  land,  and  then,  just  before  it  broke, 
to  dive  under  it  and  to  reappear  mounting  up  the  side  of  the 
following  watery  hill.     Sometimes  a  lad  would  keep  above 


AN   ADVENTUEE  IN   THE   SANDWICH  ISLANDS.         35Y 

water  too  long,  and  the  surf  would  roll  him  over,  and  carry- 
away  his  board  ;  but  he  quickly  recovered  it,  and  soon  regain- 
ed his  credit.  Shouts  of  laughter  bursted  forth  on  all  sides 
when  any  such  mishap  occurred,  showing  that  there  was  little 
fear  of  damage.  The  women  and  children  kept  generally  on 
the  inner  bar,  but  were  quite  as  expert  as  the  men.  On 
mounting  to  the  top  of  the  rocks  we  saw  two  of  the  men  swim 
out  beyond  the  rest,  on  the  further  side  of  the  breakers.  The 
natives  seemed  to  be  watching  them  attentively.  Soon  one  of 
them  was  seen  to  dive,  then  the  other.  In  a  little  time  they 
both  appeared,  flourishing  their  knives  above  their  heads,  and 
at  the  same  moment  two  huge  black  bodies  floated  to  the  sur- 
face, and  were  borne  in  by  the  rollers  toward  the  shore. 

"  What  can  they  be  ?  "  I  exclaimed  to  Jerry. 

"  Sharks,"  he  answered,  watching  them.  "  "Well,  I  should 
like  to  know  how  to  tackle  to  with  one  of  these  monsters.  I 
own  that  I  shouldn't  much  like  to  have  to  fight  one  of  them 
with  a  suit  of  armor  on,  and  a  spear  or  battle-axe  in  my  hand. 
I  suspect  even  St.  George  who  killed  the  dragon  would  have 
found  it  somewhat  a  tough  job,  and  yet  these  naked  fellows 
make  no  difficulty  about  the  matter." 

"It  is  just  what  a  man  has  been  used  to,"  I  answered.  "I 
dare  say  one  of  them  would  be  very  unhappy  with  a  suit  of 
armor  on  and  a  battle-axe." 

No  surprise  seemed  to  be  created  by  the  achievement,  and 
the  bold  swimmers  took  their  places  among  the  rest  on  the 
rollers  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  When  swimming  out  in 
this  way,  every  man  has  a  knife  secured  to  his  board.  As 
soon  as  he  sees  a  shark  he  swims  away  a  short  distance.  The 
shark  approaches — ^he  pretends  to  be  very  awkward.  Keeping 
his  eye  on  the  monster,  who  begins  to  fancy  he  has  got  a 
feast  prepared,  he  watches  his  time,  and  suddenly  diving, 
sticks  his  sharp  weapon  with  all  his  might  in  the  under  part 
of  the  monster.  Sometimes  the  shark  attempts  to  fly,  but  gen- 
erally the  blow  is  fatal,  and  he  is  towed  in  triumph  on  shore. 


358  ASIA. 

After  spending  a  day  at  Kailua,  the  capital  of  the  island, 
where  there  is  a  fort  and  a  governor,  and  where  several  mer- 
chants reside  to  supply  whalers  with  provisions,  we  embarked 
once  more  on  board  the  schooner,  and  ran  round  the  south 
of  the  island  to  a  small  harbor  in  the  neighborhood  of  Why- 
hohino,  a  chief  missionary  station.  We  were  received  very 
kindly  by  the  missionaries,  and  they  procured  us  horses  to 
enable  us  to  accomplish  one  of  the  chief  objects  which  had 
brought  us  to  the  place — a  visit  to  the  summit  of  the  great 
volcano  of  Kilanea.  They  also  found  us  two  guides  who  were 
to  accompany  us  to  the  crater,  while  two  other  men  were  to 
remain  with  the  horses  below.  Mr.  Callard  himself  had  his 
duties  to  attend  to,  so  that  he  could  not  accompany  us.  Ben 
Yool  had  been  left  with  the  schooner,  so  our  party  consisted 
of  Mr.  M' Ritchie,  Cousin  Silas,  Jerry,  and  I,  not  forgetting 
old  Surley.  He  always  kept  close  to  us,  suspecting,  perhaps, 
if  the  natives  caught  him,  they  might  cook  and  eat  him.  We 
were  weU  supplied  with  provisions  and  with  bottles  of  water 
which  we  could  replenish  on  the  way.  We  travelled  at  first 
along  the  coast,  and  then  struck  inland,  directing  our  course 
toward  the  lofty  summit  of  the  mountain,  whence,  even  at 
that  distance,  we  could  see  pillars  of  smoke  ascending  to  the 
sky.  It  was  getting  dark  when  our  guides  told  us  that  close 
at  hand  was  a  cavern  in  which  we  might  pass  the  night  shel- 
tered from  the  weather.  Torches  of  resinous  wood  were  soon 
procured,  and  they  led  the  way  down  a  steep  path,  till  we 
found  ourselves  at  the  entrance  of  an  immense  cavern  formed 
in  the  lava.  It  was  some  hundred  feet  square,  and  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  high.  When  lighted  up  by  the  torches  it  had 
a  very  wild  and  picturesque  appearance.  The  horses  were 
tethered  in  one  part,  while  wg  all  went  out  and  collected  grass 
and  fern  leaves  for  our  beds,  and  a  good  supply  of  fuel  for 
our  fire.  Having  cooked  our  supper,  we  sat  round  the  fire, 
while  one  of  the  natives,  who  spoke  English  very  well,  told  us 
some   of    the   wonderful   tales   about   Pele,  the   goddess   of 


AN  ADVENTUBE  IN  THE   SANDWICH   ISLANDS.         359 

the  burning  mountain,  and  her  numerous  diabolical  followers. 
Though  our  guides  were  now  Christians,  and  professed  to 
disbelieve  all  these  fables,  it  was  evident  that  their  minds  were 
considerably  affected  by  them,  so  difficult  is  it  to  get  rid  of 
early  associations.  The  cavern  had  become  rather  smoky, 
and  Mr.  Brand  had  gone  out  to  enjoy  the  cool  air,  when  he 
called  us  to  him.  We  looked  toward  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  which  rose  in  majestic  grandeur  before  us,  the  sum- 
mit crowned  by  wreaths  of  flame,  which  rose  and  fell  as  if 
impelled  by  some  secret  power  within.  After  admiring  it  for 
some  time,  we  returned  to  our  bandit-looking  abode  for  the 
night. 

The  next  morning,  leaving  our  horses,  we  set  out  on  foot 
toward  the  crater.  A  mass  of  smoke  alone  rested  on  the 
summit  of  the  mountain.  The  road  was  very  rough,  vegeta- 
tion in  many  places  destroyed,  and,  in  general,  we  found  our- 
selves passing  over  masses  of  lava,  with  deep  crevices  in  some 
places  and  huge  masses  in  others,  while  here  and  there  the 
crust  was  so  thin  that  it  gave  way  beneath  our  feet.  The 
heat  was  very  great ;  but  we  found  a  red  berry  growing  on  a 
low  bush,  which  was  very  refreshing.  At  length,  after  some 
hours  of  toil,  we  found  ourselves  standing  on  the  summit  of  a 
cliff,  while  below  us  appeared  a  vast  plain  full  of  conical  hiUs, 
and  in  the  centre  of  it  a  mass  of  hquid  lava  like  a  wide  lake 
of  fire.  It  was  what  we  had  come  to  see — the  crater  of  Kila- 
nea.  Below  the  cliff,  inside  the  basin,  was  a  ledge  of  consid- 
erable width  of  solid  lava.  "We  looked  about  for  a  path  by 
which  we  could  reach  the  plain.  At  last  we  found  a  steep 
bank  wherfe  the  cliff  had  given  way.  By  this  we  now  descend- 
ed with  the  help  of  sticks,  with  which  we  had  been  provided. 
The  descent  was  difficult  and  dangerous  in  the  extreme,  as  the 
lava  gave  way  before  us,  and  huge  masses  went  rolling  and 
tumbling  away,  some  in  front  and  some  behind  us,  as  we  slid 
down  the  steep  bank.  The  appearance  of  the  ground  was 
such  that  we  with  reason  hesitated  on  trusting  ourselves  to  it. 


360  ASIA. 

Old  Surley,  loo,  smelled  at  it,  and  examined  it  narrowly,  as  if 
very  doubtful  about  running  over  it.  Still,  our  guides  assured 
us  that  other  Englishmen  had  been  there  ;  and  where  others  had 
been  we  knew  that  we  could  go.  At  last  we  reached  the  bot- 
tom, and  walked  on,  with  our  staffs  in  hand  feeling  the  way. 
More  than  once  I  felt  the  ground  cracking  under  my  feet.  It 
was  not  hot,  but  it  struck  me — suppose  it  is  only  a  crust,  and 
one  of  us  were  to  slip  through  into  the  boiling  caldron  below ! 
I  own  that  I  more  than  once  wished  myself  back  again  on 
cool  and  solid  ground.  To  go  through  the  ice  is  disagreeable 
enough,  but  to  slip  down  under  this  black  cake  would  be  hor- 
rible indeed.  Not  five  minutes  after  this  idea  had  crossed  my 
mind,  I  heard  a  cry.  It  was  Jerry's  voice.  I  looked  round — 
his  head  and  shoulders  only  were  appearing  above  the  ground, 
and  his  arms  were  stretched  out  wide  on  either  side,  while 
with  his  fingers  he  tried  to  dig  into  the  lava,  to  prevent  himself 
from  slipping  further. 

"  Oh,  help  me  !  help  me  ! "  he  shrieked  out ;  "  I  cannot 
find  any  rest  for  my  feet,  and  shall  sink  into  some  horrible 
pit." 

"  Stand  back  —  stand  back,"  shouted  Mr.  Brand,  as  the 
rest  of  us  were  running  forward ;  "  you  will  all  be  going  in 
together.  Stay,  let  me  see  first  what  I  can  do.  Hold  on, 
Jerry ;  don't  move,  my  boy,"  he  added.  Then  taking  an- 
other pole  from  one  of  the  guides,  he  laid  himself  along  the 
ground ;  he  gradually  advanced  till  he  had  placed  a  pole  under 
each  of  Jerry's  arms.  "  Now,  swing  your  legs  up,  and  I  will 
draw  you  away,"  he  cried  out.  Jerry  did  as  he  was  told,  and 
was  dragged  on  to  firm  ground.  The  ground  had  given  way 
just  as  if  it  had  been  a  piece  of  egg  shell.  Probably  it  had 
been  formed  by  a  sheet  of  lava  flowing  rapidly  over  some  fis- 
sure without  filling  it  up.  Jerry  was  most  thankful  for  his 
preservation,  but  he  had  too  much  spirit  to  wish  to  go  back, 
and  insisted  on  proceeding  on  to  the  borders  of  the  liquid  fiery 
lake.     Before  us,  amidst  the  burning  expanse,  rose  two  lofty 


i 


AN  ADVENTTJEE   IN   THE   SANDWICH   ISLANDS. 


361 


cones,  one  of  them  insulated,  the  other  joined  by  a  causeway  to 
the  ledge  of  lava.  Besides  these,  a  number  of  smaller  cones 
were  seen  in  various  directions.  The  ground  was  also  full  of 
pools  of  burning  sulphur,  or  other  liquid  matter,  while  huge 
black  shapeless  masses  of  lava  lay  scattered  about  in  every 
direction,  thrown  out,  undoubtedly,  from  the  mouth  of  one  of 


A  VOLCANO  ON   ONE   OF  THE   SANDWICH  ISLANDS. 


the  large  cones  before  us.  On  we  pushed  our  way,  notwith- 
standing, and  at  last  we  stood  on  the  very  brink  of  the  lake  of 
fire  !  I  could  not  altogether  divest  myself  of  the  idea  that  it 
might  bubble  over  and  destroy  us.  It  was  strange  that  no 
heat  appeared  to  proceed  from  it,  and  yet  the  points  of  our 
sticks  were  instantly  burned  to  cinders  when  we  put  them  into 
it.  After  we  had  got  accustomed  to  the  strange  scene,  we 
agreed  that  we  should  like  to  mount  to  the  top  of  the  cone  by 
the  causeway.  Off  we  set.  We  reached  it,  and  began  the 
hazardous  ascent.  There  was  an  outer  crust,  which  often 
16 


362  ASIA. 

gave  way  under  our  feet — still  we  pushed  on.  Our  guides 
urged  us  to  desist,  saying  that  no  one  had  ever  ventured  thus 
far  and  returned  alive.  Still  they  followed  us.  Up  the  cone 
they  climbed.  It  was  a  strangely  wild  scene.  The  fiery  lake 
below  us,  around  us  ;  the  vast  masses  of  lava  piled  upon  the 
plain ;  the  high  black  cliffs  on  every  side  ;  the  wild,  hopeless 
desolation  of  the  country  beyond ;  and  the  numerous  cones, 
each  the  mouth  of  a  miniature  volcano,  sending  forth  smoke  in 
every  direction.  We  had  nearly  reached  the  summit  of  the 
cone,  when  a  thick  puff  of  sulphurous  smoke  almost  drove  us 
back  headlong.  A  loud  roar  at  the  same  time,  louder  than  a 
thousand  claps  of  thunder,  saluted  our  ears. 

"  Fly !  fly  ! "  cried  our  guides  ;  "  the  mountain  is  going  to 
vomit  forth  its  fiery  breath."  Not  a  moment  did  we  delay. 
Down  the  side  of  the  cone  we  sprung — none  of  us  looked  back. 
Thicker  and  thicker  came  forth  the  smoke.  Rivulets  of  lava 
began  to  flow,  streaming  down  the  cone  into  the  lake  below ; 
some  came  toward  the  causeway,  leaping  down  its  sides.  On 
we  went,  every  instant  dreading  a  fall  through  the  thin  crust. 
Ashes  came  forth  and  fell  around  us,  and  then  huge  masses 
of  rock  came  down  with  loud  splashes  into  the  fiery  plain. 
Some  went  even  before  us,  and  were  buried  deep  in  the  ground 
over  which  we  had  to  tread.  The  roar  of  the  mountain  con- 
tinued. Down  we  sprung ;  a  blow  from  a  stone  would  have 
killed  us — a  false  step  would  have  sent  us  into  the  fiery  pool, 
to  the  instant  and  utter  annihilation  of  our  mortal  frames.  I 
felt  as  if  I  could  not  cry  out.  An  unspeakable  dread  and  hor- 
ror had  seized  me.  At  length  the  plain  of  lava  was  regained. 
No  one  was  hurt ;  yet  the  danger  was  not  past.  Still  the  lava 
streamed  forth.  It  might  overflow  the  banks  of  the  lake  for 
aught  we  could  tell.  Ashes  and  masses  of  rock  fell  in  showers 
aroimd  us.  We  fled  like  Lot  and  his  family,  nor  stopped  till 
we  reached  the  cliff.  Then  it  was  searched  in  vain  for  a  way 
to  mount  to  the  summit.  We  did  now  look  back  to  see  if  the 
lava  was  following  us,  but  the  glowing  lake  lay  as  calm  as 


AN   ADVENTUEE   IN   THE    SANDWICH    ISLANDS.         363 

before.  The  outburst  seemed  to  have  subsided.  Now  and 
then  a  jet  of  lava  and  fire  came  forth,  and  a  puff  of  smoke, 
but  both  soon  ceased.  At  last,  walking  round  under  the  cliff, 
we  found  a  practicable  way  to  the  top.  We  were  saved,  and 
grateful  for  our  escape,  while  our  curiosity  was  amply  satis- 
fied. We  were  suffering  much  from  thirst,  when  what  was 
our  surprise  to  come  upon  a  pool  of  clear  water  with  reeds 
growing  round  it,  though  in  the  very  neighborhood  of  hot 
basins  of  sulphur,  and  of  cones  sprouting  forth  wreaths  of 
smoke  !  We  expected  to  find  the  water  hot,  instead  of  which 
it  was  deliciously  cool  and  refreshing.  On  ascending  the  cliff, 
we  found  that  it  was  too  late  to  descend  the  mountain  that 
night,  so  our  guides  led  us  to  a  hut  built  to  afford  accommo- 
dation for  travellers.  It  stood  overlooking  the  cones  and 
the  lake  of  fire,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  extraordinary  ap- 
pearance of  that  scene,  as  we  watched  it  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  night,  or  the  magnificent  spectacle  which  gladdened 
our  eyes  when  the  glorious  sun  rose  from  out  of  his  ocean 
bed,  and  lighted  up  the  distant  snow-capped  peak  of  the  lofty 
Mouna  Roa,  which  is  14,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

We  collected  several  specimens  of  sulphur  and  lava,  and 
also  a  quantity  of  what  the  natives  call  the  hair  of  Pele. 
Every  bush  around  was  covered  with  it.  It  is  produced  from 
the  lava  when  first  thrown  up,  and  borne  along  by  the  air  till 
it  is  spun  into  fine  filaments  several  inches  in  length.  It  was 
of  a  dark  olive  color,  brittle  and  semi-transparent.  In  our 
descent  of  the  mountain  we  entered  long  galleries,  the  walls 
and  roof  hung  with  stalactites  of  lava  of  various  colors,  the 
appearance  being  very  beautiful.  They  are  formed  by  the 
lava  hardening  above,  while  it  continues  to  flow  away  under- 
neath— thus  leaving  a  hollow  in  the  centre.  We  might  have 
spent  many  days  in  wandering  about  that  strange,  wild  region, 
but  we  had  seen  enough  to  talk  about  ever  afterwards.  We 
got  back  safe  to  the  station ;  and  when  there,  we  found  that 
Mr.  Callard  had  resolved  to  remain  some  time  on  the  island. 


AFEIO  A 


COKFESSIONS  OF  A  SLAVE-TRADER. 

As  I  am  now  fairly  embarked  (says  Capt.  Canot,  in  his 
extraordinary  confessions)  in  a  trade  which  absorbed  so  many 
of  my  most  vigorous  years,  I  suppose  the  reader  will  not  be 
loth  to  learn  a  little  of  my  experience  in  the  alleged  "  cruel- 
ties" of  this  commerce  ;  and  the  first  question,  in  all  likelihood, 
that  rises  to  his  lips,  is  a  solicitation  to  be  apprised  of  the  em- 
barkation and  treatment  of  slaves  on  the  dreaded  voyage. 

An  African  factor  of  fair  repute  is  ever  careful  to  select 
his  human  cargo  with  consummate  prudence,  so  as  not  only  to 
supply  his  employers  with  athletic  laborers,  but  to  avoid  any 
taint  of  disease  that  may  affect  the  slaves  in  their  transit  to 
Cuba  or  the  American  main.  Two  days  before  embarkation, 
the  head  of  every  male  and  female  is  neatly  shaved ;  and,  if 
the  cargo  belongs  to  several  owners,  each  man's  hrand  is  im- 
pressed on  the  body  of  his  respective  negro.  This  operation 
is  performed  with  pieces  of  silver  wire,  or  small  irons  fash- 
ioned into  the  merchant's  initials,  heated  just  hot  enough  to 
blister  without  burning  the  skin.  When  the  entire  cargo  is 
the  venture  of  but  one  proprietor,  the  branding  is  always  dis- 
pensed with. 

On  the  appointed  day,  the  harracoon  or  slave-pen  is  made 
joyous  by  the  abundant  "feed"  which  signalizes  the  negro's 


366 


APEICA. 


last  hours  in  his  native  country.  The  feast  over,  they  are 
taken  alongside  the  vessel  in  canoes ;  and  as  they  touch  the 
deck,  they  are  entirely  stripped,  so  that  vromen  as  well  as  men 
go  out  of  Africa  as  they  came  into  it — nahed.     This  precau- 


EUANDING   A   NEGREGS. 


tion,  it  will  be  understood,  is  indispensable  ;  for  perfect  nudity, 
during  the  whole  voyage,  is  the  only  means  of  securing  clean- 
liness and  health.  In  this  state,  they  are  immediately  ordered 
below,  the  men  to  the  hold  and  the  women  to  the  cabin,  while 


CONFESSIONS   OF   A  SLAVE-TEADEE.  367 

boys  and  girls  are,  day  and  night,  kept  on  deck,  where  their 
sole  protection  from  the  elements  is  a  sail  in  fair  weather,  and 
a  tarpaulin  in  foul. 

At  meal  time  they  are  distributed  in  messes  of  ten.  Thirty 
years  ago,  when  the  Spanish  slave  trade  was  lawful,  the  cap- 
tains were  somewhat  more  ceremoniously  religious  than  at 
present,  and  it  was  then  a  universal  habit  to  make  the  gangs 
say  grace  before  meat,  and  give  thanks  afterwards.  In  our 
days,  however,  they  dispense  with  this  ritual,  and  content 
themselves  with  a  "  Viva  la  Mabana"  or  "  Hurrah  for  Ha- 
vana," accompanied  by  a  clapping  of  hands. 

This  over,  a  bucket  of  salt  water  is  served  to  each  mess, 
by  way  of  "finger  glasses"  for  the  ablution  of  hands,  after 
which  a  Jcidd — either  of  rice,  farina,  yams,  or  beans — ac- 
cording to  the  tribal  habit  of  the  negroes,  is  placed  before  the 
squad.  In  order  to  prevent  greediness  or  inequality  in  the 
appropriation  of  nourishment,  the  pro^jess  is  performed  by  sig- 
nals from  a  monitor,  whose  motions  indicate  when  the  darkies 
shall  dip  and  when  they  shall  swallow. 

It  is  the  duty  of  a  guard  to  report  immediately  whenever  a 
slave  refuses  to  eat,  in  order  that  his  abstinence  may  be  traced 
to  stubbornness  or  disease.  Negroes  have  sometimes  been 
found  in  slavers  who  attempted  voluntary  starvation  ;  so  that, 
when  the  watch  reports  the  patient  to  be  "  shamming,"  his  ap- 
petite is  stimulated  by  the  medical  antidote  of  a  "  cat."  If 
the  slave,  however,  is  truly  ill,  he  is  forthwith  ticketed  for  the 
sick-list  by  a  bead  or  button  around  his  neck,  and  despatched 
to  an  infirmary  in  the  forecastle. 

These  meals  occur  twice  daily — at  ten  in  the  morning  and 
four  in  the  afternoon — and  are  terminated  by  another  ablution. 
Thrice  in  each  twenty-four  hours  they  are  served  with  half  a 
pint  of  water.  Pipes  and  tobacco  are  circulated  economically 
among  both  sexes ;  but  as  each  negro  cannot  be  allowed  the 
luxury  of  a  separate  bowl,  boys  are  sent  round  with  an 
adequate  supply,  allowing  a  few  whiffs  to  each  individual.    On 


368  ATEICA. 

regular  days — ^probably  three  times  a  week — ^their  mouths  are 
carefully  rinsed  with  vinegar,  while,  nearly  every  morning,  a 
dram  is  given  as  an  antidote  to  scurvy. 

Although  it  is  found  necessary  to  keep  the  sexes  apart,  they 
are  allowed  to  converse  freely  during  the  day  while  on  deck. 
Corporal  punishment  is  never  inflicted  save  by  order  of  an 
officer,  and,  even  then,  not  until  the  culprit  understands  exactly 
why  it  is  done.  Once  a  week,  the  ship's  barber  scrapes  their 
chins  without  assistance  from  soap  ;  and,  on  the  same  day, 
their  nails  are  closely  paired,  to  insure  security  from  harm  in 
those  nightly  battles  that  occur,  when  the  slave  contests  with 
his  neighbor  every  inch  of  plank  to  which  he  is  glued.  During 
afternoons  of  serene  weather,  men,  women,  girls,  and  boys 
are  allowed  to  unite  in  African  melodies,  which  they  always 
enhance  by  an  extemporaneous  tom-tom  on  the  bottom  of  a  tub 
or  tin  kettle. 

These  hints  will  apprise  the  reader  that  the  greatest  care, 
compatible  with  safety,  is  taken  of  a  negro's  health  and  clean- 
liness on  the  voyage.  In  every  well-conducted  slaver,  the 
captain,  officers,  and  crew,  are  alert  and  vigilant  to  preserve 
the  cargo.  It  is  their  personal  interest,  as  well  as  the  interest 
of  humanity  to  do  so.  The  boatswain  is  incessant  in  his 
patrol  of  purification,  and  disinfecting  substances  are  plen- 
teously  distributed.  The  upper  deck  is  washed  and  swabbed 
daily  ;  the  slave  deck  is  scraped  and  holy-stoned  ;  and,  at  nine 
o'clock  each  morning,  the  captain  inspects  every  part  of  his 
craft ;  so  that  no  vessel,  except  a  man-of-war,  can  compare 
with  a  slaver  in  Systematic  order,  purity,  and  neatness.  I  am 
not  aware  that  the  ship-fever,  which  sometimes  decimates  the 
emigrants  from  Europe,  has  ever  prevailed  in  these  African 
traders. 

At  sundown,  the  process  of  stowing  the  slaves  for  the 
night  is  begun.  The  second  mate  and  boatswain  descend  into 
the  hold,  whip  in  hand,  and  range  the  slaves  in  their  regular 
places ;  those  on  the  right  side  of  the  vessel  facing  forward, 


CONFESSIONS    OF  A   SLAVE-TEADEE.  369 

and  lying  in  each  other's  lap,  while  those  on  the  left  are  simi- 
larly stowed  with  their  faces  toward  the  stem. 

In  order  to  insure  perfect  silence  and  regularity  during 
night,  a  slave  is  chosen  as  constable  from  every  ten,  and  fur- 
nished with  a  "  cat"  to  enforce  commands  during  his  appointed 
watch.  In  remuneration  for  his  services,  which,  it  may  be 
believed,  are  admirably  performed  whenever  the  whip  is  re- 
quired, he  is  adorned  with  an  old  shirt  or  tarry  trowsers. 
Now  and  then  billets  of  wood  are  distributed  among  the  sleep- 
ers, but  this  luxury  is  never  granted  until  the  good  temper  of 
the  negroes  is  ascertained,  for  slaves  have  often  been  tempted 
to  mutiny  by  the  power  of  arming  themselves  with  these  pil- 
lows from  the  forest. 

It  is  very  probable  that  many  of  my  readers  will  consider 
it  barbarous  to  make  slaves  lie  down  naked  upon  a  board ;  but 
let  me  inform  them  that  native  Africans  are  not  familiar  with 
the  use  of  feather-beds,  nor  do  any  but  the  free  and  rich  in 
their  mother  country  indulge  in  the  luxury  even  of  a  mat  or 
raw-hide.  Among  the  Mandingo  chiefs — ^the  most  industrious 
and  civilized  of  Africans — ^the  beds,  divans,  and  sofas,  are 
heaps  of  mud,  covered  with  untanned  skins  for  cushions,  while 
logs  of  wood  serve  for  bolsters  !  I  am  of  opinion,  therefore, 
that  emigrant  slaves  experience  very  slight  inconvenience  in 
lying  down  on  the  deck. 

But  ventilation  is  carefully  attended  to.  The  hatches  and 
bulkheads  of  every  slaver  are  grated,  and  apertures  are  cut 
about  the  deck  for  ampler  circulation  of  air.  Wind-sails,  too, 
are  constantly  pouring  a  steady  draft  into  the  hold,  except 
during  a  chase,  when,  of  course,  every  comfort  is  temporarily 
sacrificed  for  safety.  During  calms  or  in  light  and  baffling 
winds,  when  the  suffocating  air  of  the  tropics  makes  ventilation 
impossible,  the  gratings  are  always  removed,  and  portions  of 
the  slaves  allowed  to  repose  at  night  on  deck,  while  the  crew 
is  armed  to  watch  the  sleepers. 

Handcuffs  are  rarely  used  on  shipboard.  It  is  the  common 
16* 


370 


APRICA. 


custom  to  secure  slaves  in  the  harracoons,  and  while  shipping, 
bj  chaining  ten  in  a  gang ;  but  as  these  platoons  would  be  ex- 


MANDINGO   CHIEF. 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  SLAVE-TKADEE.       3Y1 

tremely  inconvenient  at  sea,  the  manacles  are  immediately 
taken  off  and  replaced  by  leg-irons,  which  fasten  them  in  pairs 
by  the  feet.  Shackles  are  never  used  but  for  full-grown  men, 
while  women  and  hoys  are  set  at  liberty  as  soon  as  they  em- 
bark. It  frequently  happens  that  when  the  behavior  of  male 
slaves  warrants  their  freedom,  they  are  released  from  aU  fasten- 
ings long  before  they  arrive.  Irons  are  altogether  dispensed 
with  on  many  Brazilian  slavers,  as  negroes  from  Anjuda, 
Benin,  and  Angola,  are  mild,  and  unaddicted  to  revolt  like 
those  who  dwell  east  of  the  Cape  or  north  of  the  Gold  Coast. 
Indeed,  a  knowing  trader  will  never  use  chains  but  when  com- 
pelled, for  the  longer  a  slave  is  ironed  the  more  he  deteriorates  ; 
and,  as  his  sole  object  is  to  land  a  healthy  cargo,  pecuniary  in- 
terest, as  well  as  natural  feeling,  urges  the  sparing  of  metal. 
*  *  *  *  #  *  * 

In  old  times,  before  treaties  made  slave-trade  piracy,  the 
landing  of  human  cargoes  was  as  comfortably  conducted  as 
the  disembarkation  of  flour.  But  now  the  enterprise  is  effected 
with  secrecy  and  hazard.  A  wild,  uninhabited  portion  of  the 
coast,  where  some  little  bay  or  sheltering  nook  exists,  is  com- 
monly selected  by  the  captain  and  his  confederates.  As  soon 
as  the  vessel  is  driven  close  to  the  beach  and  anchored,  her 
boats  are  packed  with  slaves,  while  the  craft  is  quickly  dis- 
mantled to  avoid  detection  from  sea  or  land.  The  busy  skiffs 
are  hurried  to  and  fro  incessantly  till  the  cargo  is  entirely 
ashore,  when  the  secured  gang,  led  by  the  captain,  and  escorted 
by  armed  sailors,  is  rapidly  marched  to  the  nearest  plantation. 
There  it  is  safe  from  the  rapacity  of  local  magistrates,  who, 
if  they  have  a  chance,  imitate  their  superiors  by  exacting 
"  gratifications." 

In  the  mean  time,  a  courier  has  been  despatched  to  the 
owners  in  Havana,  Matanzas,  or  Santiago  de  Cuba,  who  im- 
mediately post  to  the  plantation  with  clothes  for  the  slaves  and 
gold  for  the  crew.  Preparations  are  quickly  made  through 
brokers  for  the  sale  of  the  blacks ;  while  the  vessel,  if  small, 


372  AFEICA. 

is  disguised,  to  warrant  her  return  under  the  coasting  flag  to  a 
port  of  clearance.  If  the  craft  happens  to  be  large,  it  is  con- 
sidered perilous  to  attempt  a  return  with  a  cargo,  or  "  in 
distress"  and,  accordingly,  she  is  either  sunk  or  burnt  where 
she  lies. 

When  the  genuine  African  reaches  a  plantation  for  the  first 
time,  he  fancies  himself  in  paradise.  He  is  amazed  by  the 
generosity  with  which  he  is  fed  with  fruit  and  fresh  provisions. 
His  new  clothes,  red  cap,  and  roasting  blanket  (a  civilized  su- 
perfluity he  never  dreamed  of),  strike  him  dumb  with  delight, 
and,  in  his  savage  joy,  he  not  only  forgets  country,  relations, 
and  friends,  but  skips  about  like  a  monkey,  while  he  dons  his 
garments  wrongside  out  or  hind-part  before  !  The  arrival  of 
a  carriage  or  cart  creates  no  little  confusion  among  the  Ethio- 
pian groups,  who  never  imagined  that  beasts  could  be  made  to 
work.  But  the  climax  of  wonder  is  reached  when  that  para- 
gon of  oddities,  a  Cuban  postilion,  dressed  in  his  sky-blue  coat, 
silver-laced  hat,  white  breeches,  polished  jack-boots,  and  ring- 
ing spurs,  leaps  from  his  prancing  quadruped,  and  bids  them 
welcome  in  their  mother  tongue.  Every  African  rushes  to 
"  snap  fingers"  with  his  equestrian  brother,  who,  according  to 
orders,  forthwith  preaches  an  edifying  sermon  on  the  happiness 
of  being  a  white  man's  slave,  taking  care  to  jingle  his  spurs 
and  crack  his  whip  at  the  end  of  every  sentence,  by  way  of 
amen. 

Whenever  a  cargo  is  owned  by  several  proprietors,  each 
one  takes  his  share  at  once  to  his  plantation ;  but  if  it  is  the 
property  of  speculators,  the  blacks  are  sold  to  any  one  who 
requires  them  before  removal  from  the  original  depot.  The 
sale  is,  of  course,  conducted  as  rapidly  as  possible,  to  forestall 
the  interference  of  British  officials  with  the  captain-general. 

Many  of  the  Spanish  governors  in  Cuba  have  respected 
treaties,  or,  at  least,  promised  to  enforce  the  laws.  Squadrons 
of  dragoons  and  troops  of  lancers  have  been  paraded  with 
convenient  delay,  and  ordered  to  gallop  to  plantations  desig- 


CONFESSIONS   OF  A   SLAVE-TEADEE.  373 

nated  bj  the  representative  of  England.  It  generally  happens, 
however,  that  when  the  hunters  arrive  the  game  is  gone. 
Scandal  declares  that,  while  brokers  are  selling  the  blacks  at 
the  depot,  it  is  not  unusual  for  their  owner  or  his  agent  to  be 
found  knocking  at  the  door  of  the  captain-general's  secretary. 
It  is  even  said  that  the  captain-general  himself  is  sometimes 
present  in  the  sanctuary,  and,  after  a  familiar  chat  about  the 
happy  landing  of  "  the  contraband" — as  the  traffic  is  amiably 
called,  the  requisite  rouleaux  are  insinuated  into  the  official 
desk  under  the  intense  smoke  of  a  fragrant  cigarillo.  The 
metal  is  always  considered  the  property  of  the  captain-general, 
but  his  scribe  avails  himself  of  a  lingering  farewell  at  the  door, 
to  hint  an  immediate  and  pressing  need  for  "  a  very  small 
darkey  ! "  Next  day,  the  diminutive  African  does  not  appear  ; 
but,  as  it  is  believed  that  Spanish  officials  prefer  gold  even  to 
mortal  flesh,  his  algebraic  equivalent  is  unquestionably  fur- 
nished in  the  shape  of  shining  ounces  ! 

*  ^  *  *  ^  -i^  * 

Before  I  went  to  sea  again,  I  took  a  long  holiday  with 
full  pockets,  among  my  old  friends  at  Regla  and  Havana.  I 
thought  it  possible  that  a  residence  in  Cuba  for  a  season,  aloof 
from  traders  and  their  transactions,  might  wean  me  from  Af- 
rica ;  but  three  months  had  hardly  elapsed  before  I  found  my- 
self sailing  out  of  the  harbor  of  St.  Jago  de  Cuba  to  take,  in 
Jamaica,  a  cargo  of  merchandise  for  the  coast,  and  then  to 
return  and  refit  for  slaves  in  Cuba. 

My  voyage  began  with  a  gale,  which  for  three  days  swept 
us  along  on  a  tolerably  good  course,  but  on  the  night  of  the 
third,  after  snapping  my  mainmast  on  a  lee  shore,  I  was  forced 
to  beach  the  schooner  in  order  to  save  our  lives  and  cargo 
from  destruction.  Fortunately,  we  effected  our  landing  with 
complete  success,  and  at  dawn  I  found  my  gallant  little  craft  a 
total  wreck  on  an  uninhabited  key.  A  large  tent  or  pavilion 
was  quickly  built  from  our  sails,  sweeps,  and  remaining  spars, 
beneath  which  every  thing  valuable  and  undamaged  was  stored 


374  AFRICA. 

before  nightfall.  Parties  were  sent  forth  to  reconnoitre,  while 
our  remaining  foremast  was  unshipped,  and  planted  on  the 
highest  part  of  the  sandbank  with  a  signal  of  distress.  The 
scouts  returned  without  consolation.  Nothing  had  been  seen 
except  a  large  dog,  whose  neck  was  encircled  with  a  collar ; 
but  as  he  could  not  be  made  to  approach  by  kindness,  I  forbade 
his  execution.  Neither  smoke  nor  tobacco  freed  us  of  the 
cloudy  swarms  of  mosquitoes  that  filled  the  air  after  sunset, 
and  so  violent  was  the  irritation  of  their  innumerable  stings, 
that  a  delicate  boy  among  the  crew  became  utterly  insane,  and 
was  not  restored  till  long  after  his  return  to  Cuba. 

Several  sad  and  weary  days  passed  over  us  on  this  desolate 
key,  where  our  mode  of  life  brought  to  my  recollection  many 
a  similar  hour  spent  by  me  in  company  with  Don  Rafael  and 
his  companions.  Vessel  after  vessel  passed  the  reef,  but  none 
took  notice  of  our  signal.  At  last,  on  the  tenth  day  of  our 
imprisonment,  a  couple  of  small  schooners  fanned  their  way 
in  a  nonchalant  manner  toward  our  inland,  and  knowing  that 
we  were  quite  at  their  mercy,  refused  our  rescue  unless  we 
assented  to  the  most  extravagant  terms  of  compensation.  After 
a  good  deal  of  chaffering,  it  was  agreed  that  the  salvors  should 
land  us  and  our  effects  at  Nassau,  New  Providence,  where  the 
average  should  be  determined  by  the  lawful  tribunal.  The 
voyage  was  soon  accomplished,  and  our  amiable  liberators 
from  the  mosquitoes  of  our  island  prison  obtained  a  judicial 
award  of  seventy  per  cent,  for  their  extraordinary  trouble  ! 

The  wreck  and  the  wreckers  made  so  formidable  an  inroad 
upon  my  finances,  that  I  was  very  happy  when  I  reached  Cuba 
once  more,  to  accept  the  berth  of  sailing-master  in  a  slave  brig 
which  was  fitting  out  at  St.  Thomas's,  under  an  experienced 
Frenchman. 

My  new  craft,  the  San  Pablo,  was  a  trim  Brazil-built  brig, 
of  rather  more  than  three  hundred  tons.  Her  hold  contained 
sixteen  twenty-four  carronades,  while  her  magazine  was 
stocked  with  abundance  of  ammunition,  and  her  kelson  lined, 


CONFESSIONS    OF   A    SLAYE-TEADEE.  375 

fore  and  aft,  with  round  shot  and  grape.  Captain  *  *  *, 
who  had  been  described  as  a  Tartar  and  martinet,  received 
me  with  much  affability,  and  seemed  charmed  when  I  told  him 
that  I  conversed  fluently  not  only  in  French,  but  in  English. 

I  had  hardly  arrived  and  begun  to  take  the  dimensions  of 
my  new  equipage,  when  a  report  ran  through  the  harbor  that 
a  Danish  cruiser  was  about  to  .touch  at  the  island.  Of  course, 
every  thing  was  instantly  afloat,  and  in  a  bustle  to  be  off. 
Stores  and  provisions  were  tumbled  in  pell  mell,  tanks  were 
filled  with  water  during  the  night ;  and,  before  dawn,  fifty- 
five  ragamuffins  of  all  castes,  colors,  and  countries,  were  shipped 
as  crew.  By  "  six  bells,"  with  a  coasting  flag  at  our  peak, 
we  were  two  miles  at  sea  with  our  main-topsail  aback,  re- 
ceiving six  kegs  of  specie  and  several  chests  of  clothing  from 
a  lugger. 

When  we  were  fairly  on  "blue  water"  I  discovered  that 
our  voyage,  though  a  slaver's,  was  not  of  an  ordinary  charac- 
ter. On  the  second  day  the  mariners  were  provided  with  two 
sets  of  uniform,  to  be  worn  on  Sundays  or  when  called  to 
quarters.  Gold-laced  caps,  blue  coats  with  anchor  buttons, 
single  epaulettes,  and  side  arms  were  distributed  to  the  officers, 
while  a  brief  address  from  the  captain  on  the  quarter-deck,  ap- 
prised all  hands  that  if  the  enterprise  resulted  well,  a  bounty 
of  one  hundred  dollars  would  be  paid  to  each  adventurer. 

That  night  our  skipper  took  me  into  council  and  developed 
his  plan,  which  was  to  load  in  a  port  in  the  Mozambique  chan- 
nel. To  effect  his  purpose  with  more  security,  he  had  provided 
the  brig  with  an  armament  sufficient  to  repel  a  man  of  war  of 
equal  size — (a  fancy  I  never  gave  way  to) — and  on  all  occa- 
sions, except  in  presence  of  a  French  cruiser,  he  intended  to 
hoist  the  Bourbon  lilies,  wear  the  Bourbon  uniform,  and  con- 
duct the  vessel  in  every  way  as  if  she  belonged  to  the  royal 
navy.  Nor  were  the  officers  to  be  less  favored  than  the  sailors 
in  regard  to  double  salary,  certificates  of  which  were  handed 
to  me  for  myself  and  my  two  subordinates.     A  memorandum 


3Y6  AFEICA. 

book  was  then  supplied,  containing  minute  instructions  for 
each  day  of  the  ensuing  week,  and  I  was  specially  charged,  as 
second  in  command,  to  be  cautiously  punctual  in  all  my  duties, 
and  severely  just  toward  my  inferiors. 

I  took  some  pride  in  acquitting  myself  creditably  in  this 
new  military  phase  of  a  slaver's  life.  Very  few  days  sufficed 
to  put  the  rigging  and  sails  in  perfect  condition  ;  to  mount  my 
sixteen  guns  ;  to  drill  the  men  with  small  arms  as  well  as  ar- 
tillery ;  and  by  paint  and  sea-craft,  to  disguise  the  Saint  Paul 
as  a  very  respectable  cruiser. 

In  twenty-seven  days  we  touched  at  the  Cape  de  Verds  for 
provisions,  and  shaped  our  way  southward  without  speaking  a 
single  vessel  of  the  multitude  we  met,  until  off  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  we  encountered  a  stranger  who  was  evidently  bent 
upon  being  sociable.  Nevertheless,  our  inhospitable  spirit 
forced  us  to  hold  our  course  unswervingly,  till  from  peak  and 
main  we  saw  the  white  flag  and  pennant  of  France  unfurled  to 
the  wind. 

Our  drum  immediately  beat  to  quarters,  while  the  flag 
chest  was  brought  on  deck.  Presently,  the  French  transport 
demanded  our  private  signal ;  which,  out  of  our  ample  supply, 
was  promptly  answered,  and  the  royal  ensign  of  Portugal  set 
at  our  peak. 

As  we  approached  the  Frenchman  every  thing  was  made 
ready  for  aU  hazards ; — our  guns  were  double-shotted,  our 
matches  lighted,  our  small  arms  distributed.  The  moment 
we  came  within  hail,  our  captain — who  claimed  precedence 
of  the  lieutenant  of  a  transport — spoke  the  Frenchman ;  and, 
for  a  while,  carried  on  quite  an  amiable  chat  in  Portuguese. 
At  last  the  stranger  requested  leave  to  send  his  boat  aboard 
with  letters  for  the  Isle  of  France ;  to  which  we  consented 
with  the  greatest  pleasure,  though  our  captain  thought  it  fair 
to  inform  him  that  we  dared  not  prudently  invite  his  officers 
on  deck,  inasmuch  as  there  were  "  several  cases  of  small-pox 
among  our  crew,  contracted,  in  all  likelihood,  at  Angola  I " 


CONFESSIONS   OF   A   SLAVE-TRADER.  377 

The  discharge  of  an  unexpected  broadside  could  not  have 
struck  our  visitor  with  more  dismay  or  horror.  The  words 
were  hardly  spoken  when  her  decks  were  in  a  bustle,  her 
yards  braced  sharply  to  the  wind,  and  her  prow  boiling 
through  the  sea,  without  so  much  as  the  compliment  of  a  "  hon 
voyage  I " 

Ten  days  after  this  ruse  d'esclave  we  anchored  at  QuiUi- 
mane,  among  a  lot  of  Portuguese  and  Brazilian  slavers,  whose 
sails  were  either  clewed  up  or  unbent  as  if  for  a  long  delay.  We 
fired  a  salute  of  twenty  guns  and  ran  up  the  French  flag.  The 
salvo  was  quickly  answered,  while  our  captain,  in  the  full  uni- 
form of  a  naval  commander,  paid  his  respects  to  the  governor. 
Meantime  orders  were  given  me  to  remain  carefully  in  charge 
of  the  ship  ;  to  avoid  all  intercourse  with  others  ;  to  go  through 
the  complete  routine  and  show  of  a  man-of-war ;  to  strike  the 
yards,  haul  down  signal,  and  fire  a  gun  at  sunset ;  but  espe- 
cially to  get  under  way  and  meet  the  captain  at  a  small  beach 
off  the  port,  the  instant  I  saw  a  certain  flag  flying  from  the 
fort. 

I  have  rarely  seen  matters  conducted  more  skilfully  than 
they  were  by  this  daring  Graul.  Next  morning  early  the  gov- 
ernor's boat  was  sent  for  the  specie  ;  the  fourth  day  disclosed 
the  signal  that  called  us  to  the  beach  ;  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  sev- 
enth, supplied  us  with  eight  hundred  negroes  ;  and,  on  the  ninth, 
we  were  under  way  for  our  destination. 

The  success  of  this  enterprise  was  more  remarkable  be- 
cause fourteen  vessels,  waiting  cargoes,  were  at  anchor  when 
we  arrived,  some  of  which  had  been  detained  in  port  over 
fifteen  months.  To  such  a  pitch  had  their  impatience  risen, 
that  the  masters  made  common  cause  against  all  new-comers, 
and  agreed  that  each  vessel  should  take  its  turn  for  supply  ac- 
cording to  date  of  arrival.  But  the  astuteness  of  my  veteran 
circumvented  all  these  plans.  His  anchorage  and  non-inter- 
course as  a  French  man-of-war  lulled  every  suspicion  or  in- 
trigue against  him,  and  he  adroitly  took  advantage  of  his  kegs 


378  AFEICA. 

of  specie  to  win  the  heart  of  the  authorities  and  factors  who 
supplied  the  slaves. 

But  wit  and  cleverness  are  not  all  in  this  world.  Our  cap- 
tain returned  in  high  spirits  to  his  vessel ;  but  we  hardlj  reached 
the  open  sea  before  he  was  prostrated  with  an  ague  which  re- 
fused to  yield  to  ordinary  remedies,  and  finally  ripened  into 
fever,  that  deprived  him  of  reason.  Other  dangers  thickened 
around  us.  We  had  been  several  days  off  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  buffeting  a  series  of  adverse  gales,  when  word  was 
brought  me  after  a  night  of  weary  watching,  that  several 
slaves  were  ill  of  small-pox.  Of  all  calamities  that  occur  in 
the  voyage  of  a  slaver,  this  is  the  most  dreaded  and  un- 
manageable. The  news  appalled  me.  Impetuous  with  anx- 
iety I  rushed  to  the  captain,  and  regardless  of  fever  or  insanity, 
disclosed  the  dreadful  fact.  He  stared  at  me  for  a  minute  as 
if  in  doubt ;  then  opening  his  bureau  and  pointing  to  a  long 
coil  of  combustible  material,  said  that  it  communicated  through 
the  decks  with  the  powder  magazine,  and  ordered  me  to — 
"  hlow  up  the  trig  !  " 

The  master's  madness  sobered  his  mate.  I  lost  no  time  in 
securing  both  the  dangerous  implement  and  its  perilous  owner, 
while  I  called  the  ofiicers  into  the  cabin  for  inquiry  and  con- 
sultation -as  to  our  desperate  state. 

When  breakfast  was  over  on  that  fatal  morning,  I  deter- 
mined to  visit  the  slave  deck  myself,  and  ordering  an  abundant 
supply  of  lanterns,  descended  to  the  cavern,  which  still  reeked 
horribly  with  human  vapor,  even  after  ventilation.  But  here, 
alas  !  I  found  nine  of  the  negroes  infected  by  the  disease.  We 
took  counsel  as  to  the  use  of  laudanum  in  ridding  ourselves 
speedily  of  the  sufferers — a  remedy  that  is  seldom  and  secretly 
used  in  desperate  cases  to  preserve  the  living  from  contagion. 
But  it  was  quickly  resolved  that  it  had  already  gone  too  far, 
when  nine  were  prostrated,  to  save  the  rest  by  depriving 
them  of  life.  Accordingly,  these  wretched  beings  were  at 
once  sent  to  the  forecastle  as  a  hospital,  and  given  in  charge 


CONFESSIONS   OF   A   SLAVE-TKADEE.  379 

to  the  vaccinated  or  innoculated  as  nurses.  The  hold  was 
then  ventilated  and  limed  ;  yet  before  the  gale  abated,  our  sick 
list  was  increased  to  thirty.  The  hospital  could  hold  no  more. 
Twelve  of  the  sailors  took  the  infection. 

All  reserve  was  now  at  an  end.  Body  after  body  fed  the 
deep,  and  still  the  gale  held  on.  At  last,  when  the  wind  and . 
waves  had  lulled  so  much  as  to  allow  the  gratings  to  be  re- 
moved from  our  hatches,  our  consternation  knew  no  bounds 
when  we  found  that  nearly  all  the  slaves  were  dead  or  dying 
with  the  distemper.  I  will  not  dwell  on  the  scene  or  our  sen- 
sations. It  is  a  picture  that  must  gape  with  all  its  horrors 
before  the  least  vivid  imagination.  Yet  there  was  no  time  for 
languor  or  sentimental  sorrow.  Twelve  of  the  stoutest  sur- 
vivors were  ordered  to  drag  out  the  dead  from  among  the  ill, 
and  though  they  were  constantly  drenched  with  rum  to  brutal- 
ize them,  still  we  were  forced  to  aid  the  gang  by  reckless  vol- 
unteers from  our  crew,  who,  arming  their  hands  with  tarred 
mittens,  flung  the  foetid  masses  of  putrefaction  into  the  sea  ! 

One  day  was  a  counterpart  of  another ;  and  yet  the  love 
of  life,  or,  perhaps  the  love  of  gold,  made  us  fight  the  monster 
with  a  courage  that  became  a  better  cause.  At  length  death 
was  satisfied,  but  not  until  the  eight  hundred  beings  we  had 
shipped  in  high  health  had  dwindled  to  four  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  skeletons ! 

«  *  *  *  *  *  * 

At  Whydah  I  found  the  natives  addicted  to  a  very  grovel- 
ling species  of  idolatry.  It  was  their  belief  that  the  Good  as 
well  as  the  Evil  spirit  existed  in  living  Iguanas.  In  the 
home  of  the  manfuca^  with  whom  I  dwelt,  several  of  these 
animals  were  constantly  fed  and  cherished  as  dii  penates,  nor 
was  any  one  allowed  to  interfere  with  their  freedom,  or  to 
harm  them  when  they  grew  insufferably  offensive.  The  death 
of  one  of  these  crawling  deities  is  considered  a  calamity  in  the 
household,  and  grief  for  the  reptile  becomes  as  great  as  for  a 
departed  parent. 


880  AFRICA. 

Whilst  I  tarried  at  Whydah,  an  invitation  came  from  the 
King  of  Dahomey,  soliciting  the  presence  of  Cha-cha  and  his 
guests  at  the  yearly  sacrifice  of  human  beings,  whose  blood  is 
shed  not  only  to  appease  an  irritated  god  but  to  satiate  the  ap- 
petite of  departed  kings.  I  regret  that  I  did  not  accompany 
the  party  that  was  present  at  this  dreadful  festival.  Cha-cha 
despatched  several  of  the  captains  who  were  waiting  cargoes, 
under  the  charge  of  his  own  interpreters  and  the  royal  manfw- 
cas  ;  and  from  one  of  these  eye-witnesses,  whose  curiosity  was 
painfully  satiated,  I  received  a  faithful  account  of  the  horrid 
spectacle. 

For  three  days  our  travellers  passed  through  a  populous 
region,  fed  with  abundant  repasts  prepared  in  the  native  vil- 
lages by  Cha-cha's  cooks,  and  resting  at  night  in  hammocks 
suspended  among  the  trees.  On  the  fourth  day  the  party 
reached  the  great  capital  of  Abomey,  to  which  the  king  had 
come  for  the  bloody  festival  from  his  residence  at  Cannah. 
My  friends  were  comfortably  lodged  for  repose,  and  next 
morning  presented  to  the  sovereign.  He  was  a  well-built 
negro,  dressed  in  the  petticoat-trowsers  of  a  Turk,  with  yellow 
morocco  boots,  while  a  profusion  of  silk  shawls  encircled  his 
shoulders  and  waist,  and  a  lofty  chajoeau,  with  trailing  plumes, 
surmounted  his  wool.  A  vast  body-guard  of  female  soldiers 
or  amazons,  armed  with  lances  and  muskets,  surrounded  his 
majesty.  Presently,  the  manfucas  and  interpreters,  crawling 
abjectly  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  the  royal  feet,  deposited 
Cha-cha's  tribute  and  the  white  men's  offering.  The  first  con- 
sisted of  several  pieces  of  crape,  silks,  and  taffeta,  with  a  large 
pitcher  and  basin  of  silver  ;  while  the  latter  was  a  trifling  gift 
of  twenty  muskets  and  one  hundred  pieces  of  blue  dungeree. 
The  present  was  gracefully  accepted,  and  the  donors  welcomed 
to  the  sacrifice,  which  was  delayed  on  account  of  the  scarcity 
of  victims,  though  orders  had  been  given  to  storm  a  neighbor- 
ing tribe  to  make  up  three  hundred  slaves  for  the  festival.  In 
the  meanwhile,  a  spacious  house,  furnished  in  European  style, 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  SLAVE-TKADER.         381 

and  altogether  better  than  the  ordinary  dwellings  of  Africa,  was 
assigned  to  the  strangers.  Liberty  was  also  given  them  to  en- 
ter wherever  they  pleased,  and  take  what  they  wished,  inas- 
much as  all  his  subjects,  male  and  female,  were  slaves  whom 
he  jiaced  at  the  white  men's  disposal. 

The  sixth  of  May  was  announced  as  the  beginning  of  the 
sacrificial  rites,  which  were  to  last  five  days.  Early  in  the 
morning,  two  hundred  females  of  the  amazonian  guard,  naked 
to  the  waist,  but  richly  ornamented  with  beads  and  rings  at 
every  joint  of  their  oiled  and  glistening  limbs,  appeared  in  the 
area  before  the  king's  palace,  armed  with  blunt  cutlasses. 
Very  soon  the  sovereign  made  his  appearance,  when  the  band 
of  warriors  began  their  manoeuvres,  keeping  pace,  with  rude 
but  not  unmartial  skill,  to  the  native  drum  and  flute. 

A  short  distance  from  the  palace,  within  sight  of  the 
square,  a  fort  or  enclosure,  about  nine  feet  high,  had  been 
built  of  adobe,  and  surrounded  by  a  pile  of  tall,  prickly  briers. 
Within  this  barrier,  secured  to  stakes,  stood  fifty  captives  who 
were  to.be  immolated  at  the  opening  of  the  festival.  When 
the  drill  of  the  amazons  and  the  royal  review  were  over,  there 
was,  for  a  considerable  time,  perfect  silence  in  the  ranks  and 
throughout  the  vast  multitude  of  spectators.  Presently,  at  a 
signal  from  the  king,  one  hundred  of  the  women  departed  at  a 
run,  brandishing  their  weapons  and  yelling  their  war-cry,  till, 
heedless  of  the  thorny  barricade,  they  leaped  the  walls,  lacer- 
ating their  flesh  in  crossing  the  prickly  impediment.  The 
delay  was  short.  Fifty  of  these  female  demons,  with  torn 
limbs  and  bleeding  faces,  quickly  returned,  and  offered  their 
howling  victims  to  the  king.  It  was  now  the  duty  of  this  per- 
sonage to  begin  the  sacrifice  with  his  royal  hand.  Calling  the 
female  whose  impetuous  daring  had  led  her  foremost  across 
the  thorns,  he  took  a  glittering  sword  from  her  grasp,  and  in 
an  instant  the  head  of  the  first  victim  fell  to  the  dust.  The 
weapon  was  then  returned  to  the  woman,  who,  handing  it  to 
the  white  men,  desired  them  to  unite  in  the  brutal  deed  !    The 


382      '  AFEIOA. 

strangers,  however,  not  only  refused,  but,  sick  at  heart,  aban- 
doned the  scene  of  butchery,  which  lasted,  they  understood,  till 
noon,  when  the  amazons  were  dismissed  to  their  barracks, 
reeking  with  rum  and  blood. 

I  have  limited  the  details  of  this  barbarity  to  the  initial 
cruelties,  leaving  the  reader's  imagination  to  fancy  the  atroci- 
ties that  followed  the  second  blow.  It  has  always  been  noticed 
that  the  sight  of  blood,  which  appals  a  civilized  man,  serves 
to  excite  and  enrage  the  savage,  till  his  frantic  passions  induce 
him  to  mutilate  his  victims,  even  as  a  tiger  becomes  furious 
after  it  has  torn  the  first  wound  in  its  prey.  For  five  days 
the  strangers  were  doomed  to  hear  the  yells  of  the  storming 
amazons  as  they  assailed  the  fort  for  fresh  victims.  On  the 
sixth  the  sacrifice  was  over  : — ^the  divinity  was  appeased,  and 
quiet  reigned  again  in  the  streets  of  Abomey. 

Our  travellers  were  naturally  anxious  to  quit  a  court 
where  such  abominations  were  regarded  as  national  and  re- 
ligious duties  ;  but  before  they  departed,  his  majesty  proposed 
to  accord  th-em  a  parting  interview.  He  received  the 
strangers  with  ceremonious  politeness,  and  called  their  atten- 
tion to  the  throne  or  royal  seat  upon  which  he  had  coiled  his 
limbs.  The  chair  is  said  -to  have  been  an  heir-loom  of  at 
least  twenty  generations.  Each  leg  of  the  article  rests  on  the 
skull  of  some  native  king  or  chief ;  and  such  is  the  fanatical 
respect  for  the  brutal  usuages  of  antiquity,  that  every  three 
years  the  people  of  Dahomey  are  obliged  to  renew  the 
steadiness  of  the  stool  by  the  fresh  skulls  of  some  noted 
princes ! 


CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 


The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  forms  the  southern  extremity  of 
a  narrow  peninsula  about  thirty  miles  in  length,  with  the  At- 
lantic Ocean  on  the  west,  False  Bay  on  the  east,  and  Table 
B^y  on  the  north.     Cape  Town  is  situated  on  Table  Bay,  and 


CAPE   OF    GOOD    HOPE.  383 

was  originally  founded  by  the  Dutch  in  1650,  but  fell  into  the  ♦ 
hands  of  the  English  in  1795  ;  and,  it  having  been  restored  to 
its  original  possessors  after  the  peace  of  Amiens,  was  finally 
retaken  by  the  British  in  1806,  in  whose  possession  it  now 
remains. 

The  town  is  well  built  with  substantial  houses  of  stone  and 
brick,  and  wide,  regular  streets.  The  general  aspect  of  the. 
place,  with  its  well-constructed  public  buildings  and  private 
residences,  and  its  park  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  government 
house,  shaded  by  oaks  of  magnificent  gi'owth,  is  exceedingly 
agreeable. 

The  heat,  however,  in  consequence  of  the  position  of  the 
town,  which  is  faced  by  the  noonday  sun  and  walled  in  behind 
by  naked  mountains,  is  excessive.  The  streets  are  unpaved, 
and  consequently,  when  the  southeast  gales,  which  prevail  in 
midsummer,  blow,  the  dust  is  raised  in  clouds  and  deposited 
in  drifts  of  sand  along  the  sidewalks  several  inches  in  depth, 
which  keeps  the  street  sweepers  in  constant  occupation,  who 
may  be  seen  continually  at  work  collecting  the  dirt  in  heaps, 
to  be  carried  away  by  the  dirt  carts.  So  general  is  the  expe- 
rience of  this  nuisance  from  the  dust,  that  the  male,  as  well  as 
the  female  inhabitants,  of  all  classes,  are  in  the  practice  of 
wearing  veils  attached  to  their  hats.  The  northeastern  winds, 
which  prove  in  raising  the  dust  of  such  discomfort  to  the  resi- 
dents of  Cape  Town,  prevail  during  midsummer,  and  their 
approach  is  always  indicated  by  the  appearance  of  a  dense 
white  cloud,  which  settles  upon  the  summit  of  Table  Mountain, 
therefore  called  the  Table  Cloth,  and  remains  there  until  the 
gale  subsides.  These  winds  blow  with  great  violence,  sweep- 
ing along  the  land  east  of  Table  Mountain. 

The  town  seemed  to  be  in  a  highly  prosperous  condition, 
business  of  every  kind  was  flourishing,  and  there  was  a  gen- 
eral appearance  of  affluence  among  the  government  officials, 
and  the  high  rents,  among  other  indications,  show  the  prosper- 
ous condition  of  trade.     Handsome  equipages  are  constantly 


384  AFKICA. 

seen  in  the  streets,  and  tlie  prosperity  is  so  universal,  that  even 
the  lowest  classes  are  hardly  known  to  suffer  from  want.  The 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  of  great  commercial  importance  to  Great 
Britain  as  a  convenient  rendezvous  for  her  cruisers  stationed 


CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

in  the  neighborhood,  and  as  a  stopping  place  for  vessels  bound 
to  and  from  the  Indian  Ocean.  Excellent  water,  fresh  pro- 
visions, fruit  and  other  necessaries  can  be  obtained  in  any 
quantity  and  at  reasonable  prices.  Wo^d  is  scarce,  but  almost 
every  description  of  article  usually  needed  by  vessels  may  be 
procured  from  the  numerous  well-stocked  stores  and  ware- 
houses at  Cape  Town.     Live  stock  can  be  readily  obtained, 

bullocks  at  £6  per  head,  and  sheep  at  fifteen  shillings. 

******* 

The  census  of  1848  gives  200,546  as  the  population  of 
Cape  Colony.  Of  these  76,827  whites,  and  101,176  colored 
inhabitants,  make  up  the  whole  number  of  inhabitants  of  the 
various  parts  of  the  colony,  with  the  exception  of  Cape  Town, 
which  contains  a  population  of  22,543.  There  are  but  few 
of  the  aboriginal  Hottentots  of  pure  race  to  be  found,  as  their 
blood  has  been  intermingled  with  that  of  the  Dutch,  the  Negro, 
or  the  Malay.  The  first  European  discoverer  of  the  southern 
promontory  of  Africa  found  it  tolerably  well  peopled,  and  the 
natives,  in  some  respects,  in  better  condition  than  many  of  the 


CAPE  OF   GOOD   HOPE. 


385 


more  northern  tribes.  They  were  in  possession  of  herds  of 
cattle  and  sheep,  and  led  a  pastoral  life.  They  were  a  com- 
paratively happy  people,  divided  into  tribes  under  a  patriarchal 
government,  and  wandered  about  with  their  flocks  and  herds, 
taking  with  them  their  movable  hutSj  constructed  of  boughs 
and  poles,  which  were  conveyed  from  pasture  to  pasture  on 
the  backs  of  oxen.  Their  tribes,  however,  have  been  mostly 
exterminated  by  the  cruelty  of  the  Europeans,  although  a 
wretched  remnant  have  survived,  and  live  as  miserable  out- 


FINGO    WOMAN. 


casts  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  desert  and  the  forest,  and  are 
known  as  Bushmen.    *They  are  still  savage  in  character,  and 
disgusting  in  their  persons  and  habits,  having  received  but 
little  benefit  from  the  civilization  of  their  white  conquerors. 
17 


386  AFRICA. 

The  warlike  Caffres  still  retain  their  characteristic  wild- 
ness,  and  pursue  their  predatory  life.  They  are  in  many  re- 
spects inferior  to  the  ordinary  African,  and  have  some  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Egyptian  races.  They  are  of  greater 
height  and  strength  than  the  inferior  negro  ;  their  color  is 
browner,  and  though  their  hair  is  black  and  woolly,  they  have 
fuller  beards.  Their  noses  are  more  prominent,  but  they  have 
the  thick  negro  lip,  and  with  the  prominent  cheek  bone  of  the 
Hottentots  they  possess  the  high  European  forehead.  The 
Fingoes,  though  traced  in  origin  to  some  scattered  tribes  of 
the  Caffres,  differ  from  them  in  some  degree,  and  although 
spirited  and  brave  in  battle,  are  of  a  less  savage  nature,  and 
have  the  character  of  being  a  comparatively  good-natured 
people.  The  Fingoes  are  pastoral,  like  the  Caffres,  but  more 
given  to  the  culture  of  the  land,  in  which  the  men  engage  as 
well  as  the 'women,  although  this  kind  of  labor  is  confined 
among  the  Caffres  to  the  females  alone. 

The  war  carried  on  by  the  English  with  the  Hottentots 
and  Caffres,  which  has  continued  so  long,  costing  an  immense 
amount  of  blood  and  treasure,  is  still  prolonged  by  the  ob- 
stinacy of  the  blacks.  The  whole  frontier  has  been  already 
devastated,  and  although  there  is  some  hope  of  bringing  about 
a  peace,  no  one  believes  that  any  treaty  that  may  be  made  will 
be  respected  longer  by  the  negroes  than  may  suit  their  con- 
venience. In  the  last  battle,  in  which  the  English  force, 
headed  by  General  Cathcart  himself,  was  victorious,  it  is  said 
that  the  Caffre  chief  brought  into  action  six  thousand  foot  and 
two  thousand  horse.  These  numbers  are  probably  exaggerated, 
but  it  is  well  known  that  the  blacks  have  acquired  a  tolerable 
organization,  and  that  they  are  well  supplied  with  arms  and 
anmaunition.  They  have  hitherto  had  an  abundance  of  pro- 
vision, obtained  from  their  own  herds  or  from  those  stolen 
from  the  whites,  but  report  says  that,  owing  to  the  carelessness 
and  waste  always  attendant  upon  the  military  movements  of 
savages,  the  supply  of  food  is  running  short  with  them.     The 


CAPE   OF   GOOD   HOPE. 


387 


English  declare  that  the  Caffres  have  been  instructed  in  the 
art  of  war  by  numerous  deserters  from  the  British  army  and 
by  a  French  missionary  settled  among  them,  who  passed  his 
early  life  in  the  army. 


CAFFRE   CHIEF. 


The  principal  white  inhabitants  of  Cape  Town  are  the  gov- 
ernment officials,  army  officers,  and  merchants  and  tradesmen. 
The  laboring  class  is  composed  of  the  mixed  races,  the  Malays, 
Coolies,  and  the  negroes.  The  emancipated  negroes  and  their 
descendants  are  very  much,  in  character  and  condition,  like 
the  free  blacks  in  the  United  States,  though  by  no  means  as 
intelligent  and  good-looking.  They  are  perfectly  independent 
of  all  restraint,  so  long  as  they  do  not  violate  the  laws.     They 


388  AFKICA. 

work  when  it  suits  them,  and  at  their  own  prices,  and  break 
off  from  their  labor  if  spoken  to  in  a  manner  which  they  deem 
offensive.  Their  ordinary  charge  for  labor  is  $1  25  for  a  day 
of  ten  hours. 


UP    THE    CASEMANCHE. 


GoKEE  is  the  grand  depot  of  French  trade  in  Senegambia. 
A  number  of  ships  are  always  lying  in  the  harbor,  and  are  as 
exclusively  French  as  those  at  Loanda  are  exclusively  Portu- 
guese. At  Dakar,  on  the  mainland  opposite,  a  new  town 
is  being  built,  as  there  is  no  more  building-room  on  the 
island. 

As  soon  as  I  arrived  I  presented  myself  at  a  pension, 
which  in  French  i^frica  is  something  between  shop,  boarding- 
house,  and  tavern.  I  was  shown  into  a  chamber,  and  an  anom- 
alous little  being,  sex  unknown,  came  in.  It  had  its  head 
clean  shaven  except  a  few  stray  rat's  tails  on  the  scalp  ;  it 
was  dressed  in  a  short  robe,  open  at  the  back,  and  made  a 
tinkling  noise  when  it  ran.  It  looked  at  me  with  intelligent 
eyes,  and  then,  as  I  supposed,  cleared  its  throat  somewhat 
codlrsely.  I  afterward  understood  that  it  had  addressed  me  in 
Wollof,  the  most  guttural  language  in  existence. 

Then  entered  a  tall  grave  matron,  in  turban,  sandals,  and 
flowing  cotton  robes.  She  made  my  bed  with  nonchalance, 
and  regarded  me — an  infidel — with  contempt.  I  felt  abashed, 
and  went  down  into  the  shop,  which  was  a  cafe,  haberdasher's, 
bookseller's,  green-grocer's,  Italian  warehouse,  fancy  toy,  and 
ready-made  clothes'  shop,  and  where,  in  fact,  they  seemed  to 
retail  every  mortal  thing.  There  one  might  see  at  the  same 
time  sea-captains  drinking  absinthe  at  a  little  marble  table,  a 
young  lieutenant  trying  on  a  pair  of  patent-leather  boots,  and 
a  negress  choosing,  with  staring  mouth  and  eyes,  some  garish 
pattern  in  cotton  prints. 


UP   THE    CASEMANCHE.  389 

M.  Rapet  was  a  trader  in  the  Casemanche,  a  Frencli  colo- 
ny which  lies  to  the  south  of  the  Gambia.  He  invited  me  to 
accompany  him  to  this  river,  which  he  described  as  a  teiTes- 
trial  paradise  ;  so  the  day  following  my  arrival  at  Goree  I  went 
aboard- his  schooner,  a  vessel  of  ninety  tons,  and  in  the  even- 
ing we  set  sail  for  the  south  with  a  fair  wind.  A  voyage  of 
two  days  brought  us  to  the  mouth  of  our  river.  We  had  to 
beat  across  the  bar,  the  vessel  stirring  up  the  sand  with  her 
keel,  and  leaving  a  yellow  track  in  our  wake.  But  our  pro- 
gress became  so  slow  that  we  took  to  the  boat,  and  after  three 
hours  in  the  sun  were  landed  at  Caraban,  the  fort  which  com- 
mands the  entrance  of  the  Casemanche.  It  is  a  small  island, 
like  Bathurst  on  the  Gambia  and  St.  Louis  on  the  Senegal, 
and  affords  to  the  view  a  flat  surface  of  sand,  with  a  few  cot- 
ton trees  and  mangroves  in  the  distance.  "We  paid  a  series  of 
rapid  visits  to  traders  and  officials,  and  found  the  cold  brandy 
and  water  of  the  English  colonies  was  here  represented  by  ver- 
mouth and  absinthe,  and  that  one  was  obliged  to  drink  in 
every  house  which  one  entered. 

We  escaped  in  the  evening,  when  a  light  wind  bore  us  up 
the  river.  The  scenery  was  rich,  but,  like  every  thing  in  Af- 
rica, monotonous. 

It  was  not  long  before  we  were  becalmed,  and  we  went 
ashore  to  a  village  of  the  Jolas  or  Felloops,  a  pagan  tribe 
which  inhabit  the  southern  bank  of  the  river.  The  Balengi, 
who  are  scattered  along  the  north  side  near  the  mouth,  are  of 
the  same  order.  They  are  typical  negroes,  diseased  in  body, 
debased  in  mind ;  singing  and  dancing  all  the  night,  drinking 
and  dozing  through  the  day.  They  possess  the  great  rice- 
lands  of  Senegambia ;  and  having  slaves  and  wives  whom  they 
compel  to  be  industrious,  they  supply  the  native  tribes  with 
this  favorite  article  of  food.  They  grow  six  or  seven  varie- 
ties, the  finest  of  which,  a  large  white  grain,  grows  best  in  a 
dry  soil.  Their  country  also  abounds  in  the  palm-wine-tree, 
and  the  Jola  women  carry  thousands  of  gallons  every  year  on 


390  .  AFRICA. 

their  heads  to  Bathurst.  This  wine,  or  juice  of  the  tree,  when 
fresh,  tastes  like  sweet  turnips,  and  is  then  wholesome ;  but 
after  being  fermented  in  the  sun,  it  becomes  sour  and  heady, 
and  induces  dysentery  in  Europeans,  and  a  painful  local  dis- 
ease in  the  natives.     The  tapping  of  these  trees  is  a  distinct 


,  iuFRICAN  WOMEN  DRAWINQ  WATER. 

trade  in  itself.  The  tapster  ascends  the  tree  by  means  of  a 
hoop  round  his  waist  and  the  trunk  ;  he  bleeds  the  tree,  places 
a  calabash  underneath,  and  finds  it  filled  the  next  morninsr 
with  a  liquid  resembling  cocoa-nut  milk.  A  glass  bottle  is 
preferred  for  this  purpose,  as  monkeys  and  palm  cats  often 
empty  the  calabash  before  the  proprietor's  arrival. 


UP   THE   CASEMANCHE.  391 

The  houses  of  these  people  are  square,  and  built  of  four 
clay  walls.  Above  these,  but  not  resting  on  them,  is  a 
thatched  roof,  supported  by  a  pole  which  occupies  the  centre 
of  the  building.  Their  instruments  of  music  (?)  are  the 
reed  flute,  the  buffalo  horn,  and  the  tam-tam. 

One  evening,  being  again  becalmed,  we  went  ashore  at  a 
part  of  the  country  which,  is  totally  without  inhabitants.  We 
entered  a  plain,  of  which  the  grass  was  high  above  our  heads, 
and  through  which  we  walked  with  difficulty.  I  saw  a  patch 
of  water  shining  to  the  left,  and,  making  my  way  toward  it, 
found  ample  proofs  of  the  existence  of  the  nobler  fauna.  1 
recognized  the  tracks  of  antelopes,  gazelles,  wild  boars,  leop- 
ards, and  hippopotami.  I  remarked  an  antelope's  footprint 
much  larger  than  any  of  the  others.  This,  he  told  me,  was 
un  solitaire  ;  an  antelope  who  was  separated  from  his  wife  and 
family,  and  who  seemed  to  have  grown  larger  under  the  inflic- 
tion. Such  misanthropes  are  found  among  all  gregarious  ani- 
mals, from  the  "  rogue  "  among  elephants  to  the  "  old  bache- 
lors "  among  partridges. 

Then  I  found  a  firm  large  track  which  was  unknown  to  me. 
It  was  the  footprint  of  a  lion. 

Leaving  the  pond,  we  came  to  a  large  savannah  of  short 
grass,  over  which  we  could  look  to  a  great  distance.  My 
companion  showed  me  two  brown  spots  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off. 
They  were  antelopes  feeding.  We  crept  toward  them  through 
the  belt  of  forest  which  skirted  the  prairie ;  but  they  were 
quite  four  hundred  yards  from  cover.  I  fired  at  them,  but 
'without  success.  Rapet,  who  carried  a  fowling-piece,  killed 
a  brace  of  black  and  white  ducks,  and  we  returned  to  the  ves- 
sel delighted  with  our  little  promenade. 

On  the  sixth  day  we  anchored  off  Sedhu,  a  thriving  station 
a  hundred  miles  up  the  river.  I  found  that  M.  Rapet  had  a 
grand  establishment,  and  was  lord  of  a  whole  village.  I  also 
found,  to  my  delight  and  surprise,  that  he  had  a  good  library ; 
and  when  I  read  on  his  shelves  the  names  of  ComeiUe,  Moli- 


392  AFiticA. 

^re,  Rousseau,  Pascal,  and  Voltaire,  I  saw  that  I  could  agree- 
ably occupy  my  spare  time. 

But  Rapet,  a  veteran  of  twenty  years  in  the  Casemanche, 
was  the  best  book  for  me  to  read.  He  spoke  Wollof  and 
Mandingo  as  he  spoke  French,  and  was  as  much  at  home 
among  the  marabouts,  who^  came  to  see  him  every  evening, 
as  if  he  had  been  entertaining  merchants  of  Marseilles. 
These  men  would  come  into  the  large  bare  room  where  we 
took  our  meals,  would  seat  themselves  on  the  floor,  smoke 
their  pipes,  and  talk  scandal  with  a  grave  and  puritanic  air. 

They  were  dressed  in  blue  and  white  usually,  and  some- 
times in  black  or  yellow  robes.  These  robes  are  made  of  cot- 
ton, and  are  shaped  like  surplices.  They  are  dyed  blue  with 
an  extract  of  indigo ;  black,  with  the  refuse  of  forged  iron 
thrown  into  water  and  mingled  with  millet  flour  ;  and  yellow, 
from  the  tenderest  roots  of  a  tree  called  fayar^  and  from  the 
barks  of  three  trees,  the  ratt^  the  kreule,  and  the  aurd.  This 
color  is  the  most  highly  prized  of  all,  being  worn  by  princes  ; 
and  so  potent  is  the  dye,  that  if  the  robe  is  worn  too  soon  after 
it  is  applied,  its  poison  enters  the  pores  of  the  skin,  and  causes 
death. 

These  marabouts  were  all  of  them  commercial  travellers. 
Most  of  them  had  been  to  Timbuctoo,  some  of  them  to  Mecca 
even.  They  pack  their  wares  on  donkeys,  which  they  drive 
before  them,  setting  out  at  daybreak,  resting  in  the  heat  of 
the  day,  and  travelling  late  into  the  night  when  there  is  a 
moon.  When  they  arrive  at  a  town  they  establish  an  im- 
promptu shop  under  some  large  tree,  and  remain  there  two 
or  three  days,  according  to  the  traffic.  Thus  beads,  powder, 
and  cloth  are  carried  into  the  unknown  heart  of  Africa. 

My  host,  always  anxious  to  please  me,  would  make  them 
talk  of  the  countries  through  which  they  had  travelled,  and 
of  the  strange  sights  which  they  had  seen.  They  told  me  of 
the  lions  which  had  long  manes  near  Timbuctoo ;  of  the  an- 
telope which  was  striped  like  a  zebra ;  and  of  the  tribe  near 


UP   THE   CASEMANCHE.  393 

Segdo,  on  the  Niger,  which  could  live  hours  under  the  water, 
and  whom  the  sultan  employed  to  catch  crocodiles  alive. 

In  addition  to  this  they  described  the  tree  Self -fire.  It  was 
found  near  the  water.  It  bore  a  fruit  which  closely  resembled 
the  anana,  but  which  was  uneatable.  When  this  fruit  became 
perfectly  ripe  and  dry,  the  heavy  dews  of  the  night  caused  it 
to  explode,  which  it  would  do  with  a  sound  like  a  musket- 
shot,  and  flames  bursting  forth  would  consume  the  tree,  from 
whose  ashes  a  young  shoot,  phoenix-like,  would  arise.  The 
belief  in  its  igneous  qualities  is  so  deeply  rooted  in  these  peo- 
ple's minds,  that  M.  Rapet  (who  seemed  to  believe  it  himself), 
wishing  to  plant  one  near  his  house  to  ascertain  the  truth,  was 
implored  by  them  not  to  do  so,  as  they  feared  that  their  village 
would  be  burned  down.  He  informed  me  that  he  had  seen 
the  tree  charred  by  fire.  It  grows  in  the  Grambia  as  well, 
where  it  is  called  by  the  English  the  burning  bush.  The  fruits 
of  trees  which  belong  to  its  order  frequently  do  explode  as  de- 
scribed, and  this  explosion  probably  suggested  the  fable  of  the 
conflagration. 

Then  they  told  me  of  an  antelope  called  Djikijunka,  larger 
than  a  buffalo,  and  double  the  size, of  a  native  bullock,  with  a 
black  mane,  spiral  horns,  and  white  stripes  on  its  sides.  It 
was  found  in  the  great  bamboo  forest  of  Bambouka,  distant 
about  fifty  miles  fram  Sedhu.  I  resolved  to  go  there,  and  to 
make  inquiries  of  the  hunters  in  that  neighborhood.  Having 
engaged  a  Mandingo  named  Hassan,  who  had  come  from  the 
Gambia  and  could  speak  a  little  English,  I  borrowed  a  horse 
from  Rapet,  and  took  two  men  into  my  service,  who  were 
to  carry  my  necessaries,  and  to  guide  me  to  the  village  of 
Missera,  on  the  borders  of  the  great  bamboo  forest  of  Bam- 
bouka. 

My  little  nag  had  the  blood  of  the  Barbs  in  its  veins,  and 

having  been  mounted  but  once  before,  made  me  fear  that  its 

pranks  would  delay  us  considerably ;  but  after  it  had  plunged 

and  reared  for  a  little  while,  finding  a  whip  of  hippopotamus 

17* 


394  AFRICA. 

hide  no  less  active,  it  became  suddenly  docile,  and  my  tiny 
caravan  set  forth  for  the  bush. 

We  crossed  alternately  belts  of  jungle,  and  prairies  render- 
ed swamps  by  the  recent  rains.  In  the  depths  of  the  jungle 
we  could  hear  the  pigeons  cooing,  as  you  may  of  a  summer 
in  an  English  beech-wood ;  monkeys  chattered  from  the 
trees,  blue  jays  flew  across  the  path,  and  sometimes  a  rust- 
ling in  the  bushes  told  us  that  the  serpent,  timid  and  harmless 
till  trod  upon,  was  rapidly  gliding  out  of  the  way. 

On  the  green  plains  were  flocks  of  white  egrets,  which, 
never  having  been  shot  at,  sat  looking  at  me  as  I  rode  past 
them,  gun  in  hand,  with  a  virgin  and  touching  confidence. 

We  found  villages  every  five  miles,  and  their  neighborhood 
would  be  announced  by  a  clearing  in  the  forest,  or  a  patch  in 
the  plain  reduced  to  cultivation.  Either  it  would  be  a  crop 
of  ground-nuts,  with  women  pounding  them  out  of  the  earth  ; 
or  crops  of  maize  and  millet,  which  they  would  be  reaping 
with  a  small  knife,  cutting  off  the  ears  close  to  the  stalk ;  or 
fields  of  cotton.  These  last  excited  my  chief  attention ;  in- 
deed, it  is  curious  to  see,  bursting  out  from  the  yellow  flow^ers 
of  a  small  plant,  a  bunch  of  .that  which  has  all  the  appearance 
of  a  manufactured  substance.  The  cotton  of  Senegambia  is 
poor  (chetif),  and  inferior  to  that  of  Angola.  At  present, 
however,  it  has  scarcely  received  a  fair  trial ;  both  natives  and 
traders  appear  to  prefer  the  certainties  of  the  ground  nut  trade, 
which  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

In  the  evening  we  stopped  at  a  Mandingo  village.  As  in 
the  Gaboon  country,  we  went  to  the  patriarch's  house,  who  is 
here  called  Al  MamL  He  received  us  politely,  though  not, 
I  thought,  vdth  the  same  cordiality  as  a  Mpongwe  would  havo 
done.  Some  grass  and  corn  were  brought  for  my  horse,  and 
a  large  calabash  of  rice  and  milk  was  placed  before  me. 
Hassan  and  the  two  guides  joined  me,  and  their  three  dingy 
hands  and  my  white  one  mingled  in  the  bowl.  I  lived  three 
days  upon  this  fare,  which  is  that  of  the  Mandingoes  generally. 


UP   THE   CASEMANCHE. 


395 


I  ha&  been  in  the  habit  of  dining  rather  freely  with  Rapet,  who 
kept  an  excellent  table,  and  always  found  that  a  total  change 
of  diet  was  the  best  medicine  in  cases  of  digestive  and  biliary 
disarrangements.  The  Mandingoes  never  touch  milk  or  but- 
ter till  the  one  has  been  soured,  and  till  the  other  has  been 
salted  and  reduced  to  a  kind  of  oil.     It  is,  I  do  not  doubt,  a 


AFRICAN   CHIEF,   SOY  OLA. 


useful  sanitary  precaution,  as  the  natives  of  Angola  also  use 
it  in  respect  to  milk. 

The  houses  of  the  Mandingoes  are  of  the  bee-hive  shape  so 
common  in  Africa.  The  roofs  look  in  the  distance  exactly 
like  the  tops  of  hay-ricks :  the  body  of  the  house  is  quite 
round,  and  is  lightly  built  of  rods  interwoven  together,  as  in 
withy  hurdles  ;  but  those  of  the  marabouts  or  priests,  and  of 
the  men  of  rank,  are  built  of  clay,  and  have  a  double  wall. 


396  AFRICA. 

Between  these  walls  is  a  passage  which  is  cool  and  protected 
from  the  glare  of  the  sun.  Here  the  elders  sit  during  the  day, 
receive  visitors,  and  interchange  the  news  of  the  day.  The 
interior  of  the  house  is  quite  dark.  On  the  thatch  one  may 
see  bundles  of  corn  and  huge  slices  of  cassada  drying  in  the 
sun.  ,  Small  circular  store-houses,  raised  on  piles,  contain  their 
ground-nuts. 

On  the  thatch  of  one  house  I  saw  some  lumps  of  yellow 
earth,  and  on  asking  Hassan  what  it  was  for,  he  replied  that 
these  people  took  it  sometimes  as  a  purge,  eating  it  raw. 
Curiously  enou^,  M.  Rapet  had  never  heard  of  this  custom, 
and  flatly  avowed  his  disbelief  in  my  statement,  or  rather  in 
that  of  Hassan.  The  children  of  Goree,  he  said,  would  eat  a 
kind  of  clay  which  is  found  there,  and  which  is  6f  a  glutinous 
character,  being  used  for  polishing  buttons,  etc. ;  but  only 
while  they  were  children,  in  the  same  manner  as  puppies  eat 
dung.  However,  on  examining  some  veteran  Mandingoes, 
he  found  that  this  was  really  the  case.  I  was  not  so  much 
surprised,  as  I  knew  that  there  were  earth-eaters  in  South 
America,  in  some  parts  of  North  Guinea,  and  in  Lapland ; 
but  I  do  not  think  that  a  case  of  its  being  used  as  a  medi- 
cine has  been  brought  to  light  before.  I  could  easily  under- 
stand its  being  eatable,  for  it  had  a  most  piquant  and  agreeable 
odor. 

I  lay  down  on  a  rude  wooden  frame,  like  those  of  South- 
western and  Equatorial  Africa,  and  attempted  to  sleep ;  but, 
though  the  people  did  not  dance  all  night  to  the  tam-tam  like 
the  Fans,  I  found  that  their  religious  exercises  were  no  less 
noisy.  Half  a  dozen  theological  students  were  intoning  the" 
Koran,  as  if  they  had  been  public  criers.  When  at  last  they 
ceased,  I  was  wrought  to  such  a  pitch  of  excitement  that  I 
gave  up  all  ideas  of  sleep,  and  waited  anxiously  for  the  morning. 
After  a  couple  of  hours  I  heard  a  sound,  which  proceeded,  as 
I  thought,  from  a  horn.  I  got  up,  and  went  out  over  -the 
prostrate  bodies  of  my  men.     It  was  pitch  dark ;  there  was 


UP   THE   CASEMANCHE.  397 

no  sign  of  the  gray  dawn  ;  and,  to  my  astonishment,  I  heard 
the  horn  again,  this  time  above  my  head.  I  looked  up,  and 
could  dimly  descry  between  me  and  the  stars  the  figure  of  a 
huge  bird.  It  was  evidently  the  trumpet-bird,  which  makes 
a  sound  like  the  blast  of  a  cornet-^-piston  with  a  hair  in 
it.     I  turned  in  again,  and  was  in  due  time  aroused  by  the 


AN  AFRICAN  PRINCESS. 

muezzan,  or  prayer  of  the  faithful,  an  hour  before  day- 
break, at  which  hour  the  sun  is  supposed  to  be  rising  over 
Mecca. 

That  day,  at  the  village  where  we  stopped  to  breakfast,  I 
saw  a  marabout  and  his  school.  It  was  held  under  a  tree  in 
the  middle  of  the  village.  Each  pupil  had  a  board,  on  which 
he  wrote  the  Arabic  characters  with  a  charcoal  pencil.  Al- 
most all  adults  are  taught  to  read  and  write  Arabic  free  of 


398  AFRICA. 

expense,  the  marabouts  receiving  certain  dues  from  the  field 
and  fold.  They  have  also  the  exclusive  privilege  of  making 
and  selling  gris-gris,  or  amulets,  consisting  of  scraps  of  the 
Koran  in  little  leather  cases,  beautifully  tanned  and  worked. 
As  far  as  I  could  learn,  they  were  a  more  estimable  body  of 
men  than  usually  constitute  a  priesthood,  especially  among 
savage  nations. 

These  Mohanmiedan  negroes  do  not  follow  the  strict  letter 
of  the  ceremonial  law,  nor  are  they  intolerant.  When  they 
saw  me  reading  my  volume  of  Voltaire's  "  Dictionnaire  Phi- 
losophique"  (which  Hassan  told  me  was  the  Koran  of  my 
country),  they  crowded  round  me  with  simple  curiosity.  I 
was  always  received  by  them  with  courtesy  ;  they  offered  me 
their  right  hands  ;  and  when  I  left  them,  the  chef  de  village 
would  accompany  me  half  a  mile  or  so  on  the  road,  carrying 
some  article  which  belonged  to  me,  before  he  bid  me  fare- 
well. It  is  true  that  this  was  a  mere  form  of  politeness, 
but  it  would  be  difficult  to  invent  one  more  delicate  or  ex- 
pressive. 

On  arriving  at  Missera  I  found  myself  disappointed  in  the 
object  of  my  search.  A  Djikijunha  skin  had  lately  been  in 
the  town,  but  the  Mandingoes  are  great  tanners  and  curriers, 
and  it  had  been  cut  up  long  ago  for  sandals  and  gris-gris.  In 
the  evening  I  called  two  or  three  of  the  principal  hunters  to 
my  lodgings,  and  asked  them  about  this  animal.  Their  de- 
scription of  its  size  tallied  with  that  which  I  had  heard  before. 
They  said  that  it  went  in  families  ;  that  it  was  found  only  iq 
the  forest ;  that  it  never  grazed ;  and  that  the  male  tore  down 
branches  from  the  trees,  upon  which  the  does  and  fawns  would 
feed.  I  asked  them  whether  I  could  possibly  get  a  shot  at 
one.  Had  I  asked  this  of  a  Gaboon  man,  he  would  have  re- 
plied without  hesitation  that  he  could  show  me  one  the  first 
day.  But  the  Mandingoes  are  a  higher  race.  The  hunters 
replied  that  sometimes  they  happened  to  come  across  a  stray 
Djikijunka,  but  at  this  time  of  year  it  would  be  useless  to  hunt 


UP  THE  case:manche.  399 

them.  The  bush  was  dark  now,  they  said,  but  in  a  month's 
time  they  would  set  fire  to  the  high  grass  of  the  plains,  and  to 
the  tangled  undergrowth  of  the  forest.  The  people,  collecting 
from  all^  the  neighborhood,  would  form  a  vast  semicircle,  and 
animated  nature,  toward  the  close  of  the  day,  would  be  driven 
into  a  large  plain.  Then  there  would  be  a  grand  battue  of 
gazelles,  porcupines,  antelopes,  and  boars.  Most  of  the  ani- 
mals would  be  so  exhausted  as  to  let  themselves  be  killed  by 
sticks ;  and,  indeed,  few  guns  would  be  allowed,  on  account 
of  accidents.  I  then  made  them  promise  me  to  send  the  first 
specimen  which  they  killed  to  M.  Rapet,  who  would  buy  it 
for  me  from  them ;  and  it  was  in  this  manner  that  I  obtained 
a  good  specimen  of  a  female,  which  he  kindly  forwarded  to  me 
a*  the  Gambia.  In  that  river  I  obtained  two  other  specimens 
less  complete,  which  had  been  killed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Macarthy's  island.  A  part  of  the  skin  of  this  animal  had  been 
.previously  brought  to  England  by  an  employe  of  the  Earl  of 
Derby.  It  had  been  named  by  Dr.  Gray  Oreas  Derhiana. 
The  French  naturalists,  however,  had  denied  the  existence  of 
this  new  species  of  eland,  and,  oddly  enough,  it  is  to  a 
Frenchman  that  we  owe  the  proof.  Superior  in  size  to  the 
eland  of  South  Africa,  it  is  therefore  the  largest  antelope  in  the 
world. 

The  following  morning  I  started  before  daybreak,  and  rode 
the  whole  distance,  reaching  Sedhu  at  eight  o'clock  p.  m. 
Those  who  know  what  it  is  to  ride  a  young  and  unbroken 
horse  by  night  over  forest  paths  and  through  pathless  swamps, 
can  easily  imderstand  that  I  had  a  nice  time  of  it.  But  it  was 
Christmas  Eve,  and  I  wished  to  spend  some  hours  of  that  night 
in  Christian  company.  I  arrived  just  after  dinner,  covered 
with  mud  ;  but  my  horse  was  still  fresh,  and  my  men  showed 
no  great  signs  of  fatigue. 

I  was  well  rewarded  by  ray  haste  with  the  sight  of  a  most 
singular  ceremony.  We  English  once  possessed  the  Senegal, 
and  there,  every  Christmas  Eve,  the  Feast  of  Lanterns  used 


400  AFRICA. 

to  be  held.  The  native  women  had  picked  up  the  words  and 
airs  of  the  carols ;  the  custom  had  descended  to  the  Gambia, 
and  even  to  the  Casemanche,  where  it  is  still  preserved.  A 
few  minutes  after  I  had  ridden  up,  sounds  of  music  were 
heard,  and  a  crowd  of  blacks  came  to  the  door,  carrying  the 
model  of  a  ship,  made  of  paper,  and  illuminated  within,  and 
hollowed  pumpkins  also  lighted  up  for  the  occasion.  Then 
they  sang  some  of  our  dear  old  Christmas  carols,  and  among 
others  one  which  I  had  heard  years  ago  one  Christmas  Eve  at 
Oxford. 

Nowel,  Nowel,  the  angels  did  say 

To  certain  poor  shepherds  in  fields  as  they  lay ; 

In  fields  as  they  lay  keeping  their  sheep 

One  cold  winter's  night,  which  was  so  deep.  ^ 

Nowel,  Nowel,  Nowel,  Nowel, 
Bom  is  the  King  of  Israel. 

You  can  imagine  with  what  feelings  I  listened  to  those 
simple  words  sung  by  negresses  who  knew  not  a  phrase  of 
English  besides.  You  can  imagine  what  recollections  they 
called  up  as  I  sat  under  an  African  sky,  the  palm-trees  rust- 
ling above  my  head,  and  the  crocodiles  moaning  in  the  river 
beyond.  I  thought  of  the  snow  lying  thick  upon  the  ground, 
and  of  the  keen,  clear,  frosty  air.  I  thought  of  the  ruddy 
fire  which  would  be  blazing  in  a  room  I  knew,  and  of  those 
young  faces  which  would  be  beaming  still  more  brightly  by 
its  side ;  I  thought  of — oh,  a  hundred  things,  which  I  can 
laugh  at  now,  because  I  am  in  England,  but  which  in  Africa 
made  me  more  wretched  than  I  can  well  express. 

The  next  morning  I  went  out  with  a  native  hunter,  and, 
having  concealed  ourselves  behind  trees  in  the  jungle,  he  took 
his  nose  between  his  fingers,  and  emitted  a  horrible  noise 
like  that  made  by  a  gazelle  who  is  looking  for  his  mate.  One 
of  these  pretty  little  creatures  came  running  up,  and  then 
stopped  and  stared  us  in  the  face  with  her  great  startled  eyes. 
We  fired  together  ;  she  rolled  over  like  a  hare.     But  when  I 


UP   THE   CASEMANCHE.  401 

ran,  flushed  with  murderous  excitement,  to  take  her  up,  she 
turned  upon  me  those  eyes,  those  tender  eyes,  which  were 
closing  fast  under  a  thick  gray  film.  The  blood  frothed 
to  her  lips  ;  her  poor  little  body  shook  convulsively,  and  then, 
with  one  low  womanish  wail,  her  soul — for  surely  gazelles 
have  souls — left  the  body,  which  still  shuddered,  though  the 
life  was  gone.  We  had  her  cutlets  dresssed  d  la  papillote. 
Exquisite  as  her  beauty,  I  ate  them  to  indigestion. 

That  Christmas  morning  I  enjoyed  a  stupendous  repast. 
The  mouths  of  members  of  the  Acclamatization  Society  will 
water  as  they  read.  It  was  a  collection  of  gastronomical  rari- 
ties— a  tissue  of  eccentricities  de  cuisine. 

We  commenced  with  snails,  brought  from  France  in  barrels 
filled  with  flour,  which  had  preserved  them  admirably.  They 
were  prepared  au  gratin,  and  we  forked  them  out  of  their  re- 
treats with  instruments  unpleasantly  resembling  toothpicks. 
We  had  also  oysters  torn  from  trees. 

Our  fish  consisted  of  African  soles,  carp,  and  mullet.  De- 
testable in  themselves,  they  illustrated  the  skill  of  the  cui- 
sinier. 

Then  followed  the  gazelle  cutlets  d  la  papillote.  Two  small 
monkeys  served  cross-legged  and  with  liver  sauce,  on  toast. 
Stewed  iguana,  which  was  much  admired.  A  dish  of  roast- 
ed crocodile's  eggs.  Some  slices  of  smoked  elephant  (from 
the  interior) ,  which  none  of  us  could  touch.  A  few  agreeable 
plates  of  fried  locusts,  land-crabs  (previously  flattened),  and 
other  crustaceae.  The  breasts  of  a  mermaid,  or  manatee — the 
grand  bonnebouche  of  the  repast.  Some  boiled  alligator,  which 
had  a  taste  between  pork  and  cod,  with  the  addition  of  a 
musky  flavor.  And  some  hippopotamus  steaks  aux  pommes 
de  terre. 

We  might  have  obtained  a  better  dessert  at  Covent  Gar- 
den, where  one  can  see  the  bright  side  of  the  tropics  without 
the  trouble  or  expense  of  travelling.  But  we  had  pine-apples, 
oranges,  roasted  plantains,  silver  bananas,  papaws  (which, 


402  AFEICA. 

when  made  into  a  tart  with  cloves,  might  be  taken  for  apples), 
and  a  variety  of  fruits  which  had  long  native  names,  curious 
shapes,  and  all  of  them  very  nasty  tastes.  But  I  must  not 
omit  the  famous  palm-cabbage. 

It  is  erroneously  supposed  that  it  is  peculiar  to  one  tree 
which  is  called  the  cabbage-palm.  It  is,  however,  the  bud  of 
the  tree,  so  to  speak,  and  is  found  in  all  the  palms,  though  in 
some  it  is  red,  in  others  white*  It  is  a  great  luxury  ;  indeed, 
to  eat  one  is  like  eating  a  whole  tree,  for  the  palm  always 
dies  when  the  cabbage  is  cut  out.  Throughout  this  country, 
therefore,  it  is  forbidden  food ;  but  Europeans  may  some- 
times infringe  the  law  by  paying  a  large  sum.  "When  raw 
it  tastes  like  celery,  but  when  stewed  au  sauce  hlanc,  as  upon 
this  occasion,  it  is  not  to  be  compared  with  any  vegetable  of 
mortal  growth.     It  must  have  been  the  ambrosia  of  the  gods. 

That  was  certainly  a  noble  Christmas  feast,  with  a  wild 
boar's  head  grinning  on  the  table,  and  a  bottle  of  recherch^ 
Bordeaux  at  each  man's  elbow.  Another  meal  on  that  day 
was  simply  impossible,  so  my  jfriend  and  I  went  out  on  the 
river  in  the  evening.  It  might  have  served  Etty  for  a  paint- 
ing. The  rosy  wine  had  rouged  our  yellow  cheeks,  and  we 
lay  back  on  the  cushions,  and  watched  the  setting  sun  with 
languid,  half-closed  eyes. 

Four  men,  who  might  have  served  as  models  to  Apelles, 
bent  slowly  to  their  stroke,  and  murmured  forth  a  sweet  and 
plaintive  song.  Their  oars,  obedient  to  their  voice,  rippled  the 
still  water,  and  dropped  from  their  blades  pearl-drops,  which 
the  sun  made  rubies  with  its  rays. 

Two  beautiful  girls,  who  sat  before  us  in  the  bow,  raised 
their  rounded  arms,  and  tinkled  their  bracelets  in  the  air  ;  then, 
gliding  into  the  water,  they  brought  us  flowers  from  beneath 
the  dark  bushes,  and  kissed  the  hands  which  took  them  with 
wet  and  laughing  lips. 

Like  a  dark  curtain  the  warm  night  fell  upon  us  ;  strange 
eries   arose  from   the  forest;    beasts   of  the   water  plunged 


UP   THE   CASEMANCHE. 


4:03 


around  us  ;  and  my  friend's  honest  hand  pressed  mine  as  he 
spoke  of  ray  departure. 

It  was  my  last  night  in  the  Casemanche,  and  such  nights 
as  these  I  love  to  dwell  upon.  In  Europe  they  are  effaced 
by  brighter  ones,  but  here  they  are  so  rare.  Do  not  laugh 
at  me  if  sometimes  I  seize  some  little  spark  of  romance,  and 
try  to  fan  it  to  a  flame  ;  if  I  try  to  paint  those  softer  emotions 
which  should  not  be  extinguished  in  a  young  man's  heart,  but 
which  this  isolated  savage  life  can  so  seldom  awaken. 

And  yet  these  wanderings  of  mine  have  taught  me  lessons 
in  the  love  of  men.  How  many  simple  unselfish  tokens  of  af- 
fection have  I  received  from  those  who  knew  that  we  should 
not  meet  again  !  Dear  friends  whom  I  have  known  in  Afri- 
ca, whose  hearts  I  could  not  even  claim  as  a  compatriot,  be- 
lieve that  your  kindness  is  not  forgotten,  although  it  can  never' 
be  returned ! 


404  AFRICA. 


ELEPHANTS   AND   LIONS. 

At  daylight  there  was  a  large  concourse  of  Caffres  in  the 
camp,  all  waiting  till  our  travellers  were  ready  for  the  sport. 
Having  made  a  hasty  breakfast,  they,  by  the  advice  of  the 
Caffres,  did  not  mount  their  horses,  but  started  on  foot,  as  the 
Caffres  stated  that  the  elephants  were  on  the  other  side  of  the 
hill.  Ascending  by  an  elephant  path,  in  less  than  half  an  hour 
they  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  when  a  grand  and  magnifi- 
cent panorama  was  spread  before  them.  From  the  crown  of 
the  hill  they  looked  down  upon  a  valley  studded  with  clumps 
of  trees,  which  divided  the  cleared  ground,  and  the  whole  face 
of  the  valley  was  covered  with  elephants.  There  could  not 
have  been  less  than  nine  hundred  at  one  time  within  the  scope 
of  their  vision. 

Kvery  height,  every  green  knoll  was  dotted  with  groups 
of  six  or  seven,  some  of  their  vast  bodies  partly  concealed  by 
the  trees  upon  which  they  were  browsing,  others  walking  in 
the  open  plain,  bearing  in  their  trunks  a  long  branch  of  a  tree, 
with  which  they  evidently  protected  themselves  from  the  flies. 
The  huge  bodies  of  the  animals,  with  the  corresponding  mag- 
nitude of  the  large  timber  trees  which  surrounded  them,  gave 
an  idea  of  nature  on  her  grandest  scale. 

After  a  few  minutes'  survey,  they  turned  to  the  party  who 
were  collected  behind  them,  and  gave  notice  that  they  were  to 
commence  immediately.  The  head  men  of  the  Caffres  gave 
their  orders,  and  the  bands  of  natives  moved  silently  away  in 
every  direction,  checking  any  noise  from  the  dogs  which  they 
had  brought  with  them  in  numerous  packs.  Our  travellers 
wete  to  leeward  of  the  herd  on  the  hill  where  they  stood,  and 
as  it  was  the  intention  of  the  natives  to  drive  the  animals  to- 
ward them,  the  Caffre  warriors  as  well  as  the  Hottentots  all 


ELEPHANTS   AND   LIONS.  405 

took  up  positions  on  the  hill,  ready  to  attack  the  animals  as 
they  were  driven  that  way. 

About  an  hour  passed  away  when  the  signal  was  given  by 
some  of  the  native  Caffres,  who  had  gained  the  side  of  the 
valley  to  the  westward  of  the  elephants.  Perched  up  at  various 
high  spots,  they  shouted  with  stentorian  lungs,  and  their  shouts 
were  answered  by  the  rest  of  the  Caffres  on  every  side  of  the 
valley,  so  that  the  elephants  found  themselves  encompassed  on 
all  sides,  except  on  that  where  the  hill  rose  from  the  valley. 
As  the  Caffres  closed  in,  their  shouts  reverberating  from  the 
rocks,  and  mixed  up  with  the  savage  bowlings  of  the  dogs,  be- 
came tremendous  ;  and  the  elephants,  alarmed,  started  first  to 
one  side  of  the  valley,  then  to  the  other,  hastily  retreating 
from  the  clamor  immediately  raised  as  they  approached,  shak- 
ing their  long  ears  and  trumpeting  loudly  as  with  uplifted 
trunks  they  trotted  to  and  fro. 

At  last,  finding  no  other  avenue  of  escape,  the  herd  com- 
menced the  ascent  of  the  hill,  cracking  the  branches  and  boughs, 
and  rolling  the  loose  stones  down  into  the  valley  as  they  made 
their  ascent,  and  now  adding  their  own  horrid  shrieks  to  the 
din  which  had  been  previously  created.  On  they  came,  bear- 
ing every  thing  down  before  them,  carrying  havoc  in  their 
rage  to  such  an  extent,  that  the  forest  appeared  to  bow  down 
before  them ;  while  large  masses  of  loose  rock  leaped  and 
bounded  and  thundered  down  into  the  valley,  raising  clouds 
of  dust  in  their  passage. 

"  This  is  tremendously  grand,"  whispered  Alexander  to 
the  Major. 

"  It  is  most  awfully  so  ;  I  would  not  have  missed  the  sight 
for  any  thing ; — but  here  they  come — ^look  at  that  tall  tree 
borne  down  by  the  weight  of  the  whole  mass." 

"  See  the  great  bull  leader,"  said  Swinton ;  "let  us  all 
fire  upon  him — what  a  monster  !  " 

"  Look  out,"  said  the  Major,  whose  rifle  was  discharged 


406 


AFRICA. 


as  he  spoke,  and  was  quickly  followed  by  those  of  Alexander 
and  Swinton. 

"  He's  down,  be  quick  and  load  again.  Omrah,  give  me 
the  other  rifle." 

^'  Take  care  !  take  care  !  "  was  now  cried  on  all  sides,  for 
the  fall  of  the  leading  elephant  and  the  volleys  of  musquetry 


AN   ELEPHANT   HUNT. 


from  the  Hottentots  had  so  frightened  the  herd,  that  they 
had  begun  to  separate  and  break  off  two  or  three  together,  or 
singly,  in  every  direction.  The  shrieks  and  trumpetings,  and 
the  crashing  of  the  boughs  so  near  to  them,  were  now  deafen- 


ELEPHANTS   AND   LTON8.  40Y 

ing ;  and  the  danger  was  equally  great.  The  Major  had  but 
just  levelled  his  other  rifle  when  the  dense  foliage  close  to  him 
opened  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  head  of  a  large  female  presented 
itself  within  four  yards  of  him. 

Fortunately,  the  Major  was  a  man  of  great  nerve,  and  his 
rifle  brought  her  down  at  his  feet,  when  so  near  to  him  that 
he  was  compelled  to  leap  away  out  of  the  reach  of  the  trunk, 
for  she  was  not  yet  dead.  Another  ssmaller  elephant  followed 
so  close,  that  it  tumbled  over  the  carcass  of  the  first,  and  was 
shot  by  Alexander  as  it  was  recovering  its  legs. 

"  Back  sirs,  or  you  will  be  killed,"  cried  Bremen,  running 
to  them  ;  "  this  way — the  whole  herd  are  coming  right  upon 
you."  They  ran  for  their  lives,  following  the  Hottentot,  who 
brought  them  to  a  high  rock  which  the  elephants  could  not 
climb,  and  where  they  were  safe. 

They  had  hardly  gained  it  when  the  mass  came  forward 
in  a  cloud  of  dust,  and  with  a  noise  almost  inconceivable, 
scrambling  and  rolling  to  and  fro  as  they  pressed  on  in  a 
close-wedged  body.  Many  were  wounded  and  tottering,  and 
as  they  were  left  behind,  the  Caffres  naked,  with  their  assa- 
guays  in  their  hands,  leaping  forward  and  hiding,  as  required, 
running  with  the  greatest  activity,  close  up  to  the  rear  of  the 
animals,  either  pierced  them  with  their  assaguays,  or  ham- 
strung them  with  their  sharp-cutting  weapons,  crying  out  in 
their  own  tongue,  to  the  elephants,  "Great  captain!  don't 
kill  us — don't  tread  upon  us,  mighty  chief !  " — supplicating, 
strangely  enough,  the  mercy  of  those  to  whom  they  were 
showing  none.  As  it  was  almost  impossible  to  fire  without  a 
chance  of  hitting  a  CafFre,  our  travellers  contented  themselves 
with  looking  on,  till  the  whole  herd  had  passed  by,  and  had 
disappeared  in  the  jungle  below. 

"  They  have  gone  right  in  the  direction  of  the  wagons," 
said  Swinton. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  Hottentot  Bremen  ;  "  but  we  must 
not  interfere  with  them  any  more  ;  they  are  now  so  scattered 


408  AFRICA. 

in  the  jungle  that  it  would  be  dangerous.  We  must  let  them 
go  away  as  fast  as  they  can." 

They  remained  for  a  few  minutes  more,  till  every  elephant 
and  CaiFre  had  disappeared,  and  then  went  back  cautiously  to 
the  spot  from  whence  they  had  first  fired ;  and  where  they  had 
such  a  fine  prospect  of  the  valley.  Not  an  elephant  was  to  be 
seen  in  it ;  nothing  but  the  ravages  which  the  herd  had  com- 
mitted upon  the  trees,  many  of  which,  of  a  very  large  size, 
had  been  borne  to  the  ground  by  the  enormous  strength  of 
these  animals.  They  then  proceeded  to  the  spot  where  the 
great  bull  elephant  had  fallen  by  the  rifle  of  Major  Hen- 
derson. 

They  found  that  the  ball  had  entered  just  under  the  eye. 
It  was  a  monster  that  must  have  stood  sixteen  feet  high  by 
Bremen's  calculation,  and  it  had  two  very  fine  tusks.  While 
they  were  standing  by  the  carcass  of  the  animal,  the  armed 
Hottentots  returned  from  the  pursuit,  and  stated  that  seven 
elephants  had  been  despatched,  and  others  were  so  wounded 
that  they  could  not  liv«.  They  now  set  to  work  to  take  the 
teeth  out  of  the  animal,  and  were  very  busy,  when  a  Hottentot 
came  running  up,  and  reported  that  the  herd  of  elephants  in 
their  retreat  had  dashed  through  the  camp,  and  done  a  great 
deal  of  mischief;  that  a  male  elephant  had  charged  the  wagon 
of  Major  Henderson,  and  had  forced  his  tusk  through  the 
side ;  that  the  tusk  had  pierced  one  of  the  casks  of  liquor, 
which  was  running  out,  although  not  very  fast,  and  that  the 
wagon  must  be  unloaded  to  get  out  the  cask  and  save  the  rest 
of  the  liquor. 

Several  Hottentots  immediately  hurried  back  with  him  to 
help  in  unloading  the  wagon,  and  by  degrees  they  all  slipped 
away  except  Bremen,  Swanevelt,  who  was  cutting  out  the 
tusks,  and  Omrah,  who  remained  perched  upon  the  Imge  car- 
cass of  the  animal,  imitating  the  trumpeting  and  motions  of 
the  elephant,  and  playing  all  sorts  of  antics.  A  party  of 
Caffres  soon  afterwards  came  up  and  commenced  cutting  up 


ELEPHANTS    AND   LIONS. 


409 


the  carcass,  and  then  our  travellers  walked  away  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  camp,  to  ascertain  what  mischief  had  been  done. 


CAPTITRE    OP    TIIK    WILD    ELEPHANT. 


18 


410  AFRICA. 

On  their  return,  which,  as  they  stopped  occasionally  to 
examine  the  other  animals  that  had  fallen,  must  have  taken  an 
hour,  they  found  that  the  Hottentots  had  not  commenced  un- 
loading the  wagon ;  although  they  had  put  tubs  to  catch  the 
running  liquor,  of  which,  they  had  taken  so  large  a  quantity 
that  some  were  staggering  about,  and  the  rest  lying  down  in  a 
state  of  senseless  intoxication. 

^'  I  thought  they  were  very  officious,  in  going  back  to 
assist,"  observed  the  Major  ;  "  a  pretty  mess  we  should  be  in, 
if  we  were  in  an  enemy's  country,  and  without  our  Caffre 
guard." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Alexander,  turning  over  the  tubs 
of  liquor,  and  spilling  it  on  the  ground,  much  to  the  sorrow 
of  the  Hottentots  who  were  not  yet  insensible  ;  "  however,  we 
will  now  let  the  cask  run  out,  and  watch  that  they  get  no 
more." 

As  the  Caffres  were  busy  with  the  carcasses  of  the  ele- 
phants, and  most  of  the  Hottentots  dead  drunk,  it  was  useless 
to  think  of  proceeding  until  the  following  day.  Indeed,  the 
oxen  and  horses  were  all  scattered  in  every  direction,  by  the 
elephants  breaking  into  the  caravan,  and  it  would  be  necessary 
to  collect  them,  which  would  require  some  time.  Our  travel- 
lers, therefore,  gave  up  the  idea  of  proceeding  further  that  day, 
and  taking  their  guns,  walked  on  to  the  forest,  in  the  direction 
where  most  of  the  elephants  killed  had  fallen.  They  passed 
by  three  carcasses,  upon  which  the  Caffres  were  busily  em- 
ployed, and  then  they  came  to  a  fourth,  when  a  sight  presented 
itself  which  quite  moved  their  sympathy.  It  was  the  carcass 
of  a  full-grown  female,  and  close  to  it  was  an  elephant  calf, 
about  three  feet  and  a  half  high,  standing  by  the  side  of  its 
dead  mother. 

The  poor  little  animal  ran  round  and  round  the  body  with 
every  demonstration  of  grief,  piping  sorrowfully,  and  trying  in 
vain  to  raise  it  up  with  its  tiny  trunk.  When  our  travellers 
arrived,  it  ran  up  to  them,  entwining  its  little  proboscis  round 


4:11 

their  legs,  and  showing  its  delight  at  finding  somebody.  On 
the  trees,  round  the  carcass,  were  perched  a  number  of  vul- 
tures, waiting  to  make  a  meal  of  the  remains,  as  soon  as  the 
hunters  had  cut  it  up,  for  their  beaks  could  not  penetrate  the 
tough  hide.  Our  travellers  remained  there  for  more  than  an 
hour,  watching  the  motions  and  playing  with  the  young  ele- 
phant, which  made  several  attempts  to  induce  its  prostrate 
mother  to  take  notice  of  it.  Finding,  however,  that  all  its 
efforts  were  ineffectual,  when  our  travellers  quitted  the  spot  to 
go  back,  it  voluntarily  followed  them  to  the  caravans,  where 
it  remained,  probably  quite  as  much  astonished  to  find  all  the 
Hottentots  lying  about  as  insensible  as  its  mother. 

It  may  be  as  well  here  to  observe,  that  the  little  animal 
did  not  live  beyond  a  very  few  days  after,  from  want  of  its 
necessary  food. 

In  the  evening,  Bremen  and  Swanevelt  returned  with  the 
tusks  of  the  bull  elephant,  which  were  very  large,  and  the 
Caffre  warriors  also  came  in ;  the  other  Caffres  belonging  to 
the  country  were  too  busy  eating  for  the  present.  The  chief 
of  the  Caffre  warriors  brought  in  the  tufts  of  the  other  ele- 
phants' tails  and  the  teeth,  and  the  men  were  loaded  with  the 
flesh.  As  soon  as  the  Caffres  found  that  the  oxen  and  horses 
had  been  frightened  away,  and  perceived  that  the  Hottentots 
were  not  in  a  situation  to  go  after  them,  they  threw  down  their 
meat  and  went  in  pursuit.  Before  night,  the  cattle  were  all 
brought  back ;  the  fires  were  lighted,  and  the  Caffres  did  not 
give  over  their  repast  until  near  midnight. 

Our  travellers  did  not  think  it  advisable,  as  the  Hottentots 
were  now  no  protection,  to  go  to  bed ;  they  made  up  a  large 
fire,  and  remained  by  it,  talking  over  the  adventures  of  the 
day.  While  they  were  conversing.  Begum,  who  had  been  sit- 
ting by  her  master,  showed  signs  of  uneasiness,  and  at  last 
clung  round  the  Major  with  an  evident  strong  fear. 

"  Why,  what  can  be  the  matter  with  the  Princess?"  said 
the  Major  ;  "  something  has  frightened  her." 


412  AFEICA. 

"  Yes,  that  is  evident ;  perhaps  there  is  an  elephant  near  ; 
shall  we  waken  Bremen  and  Swanevelt,  who  are  close  to  us  ?  " 

Begum  chattered,  and  her  teeth  also  chattered  with  fear  as 
she  clung  closer  and  closer.  Little  Omrah,  who  was  sitting 
by,  looked  very  earnestly  at  the  baboon,  and  at  last  touching 
the  shoulder  of  Alexander  to  attract  his  attention,  he  first 
pointed  to  the  baboon,  imitating  its  fright,  and  then  going 
on  his  hands  and  feet,  imitated  the  motions  and  groAvl  of  an 
animal. 

"  I  understand,"  cried  the  Major,  seizing  his  gun ;  "  the 
lad  means  that  there  is  a  lion  near,  and  that  is  what  frightens 
the  baboon." 

"  Lion  !  "  said  the  Major  to  Omrah. 

But  Omrah  did  not  understand  him ;  but  pulling  out  his 
paper  and  pencil,  in  a  second,  almost,  he  drew  the  form 
of  a  lion. 

"  Clever  little  fellow  !  "Wake  them  all,  and  get  your  guns 
ready,"  said  the  Major,  starting  on  his  legs  ;  "it  can't  be  far 
off;  confound  the  monkey,  she  won't  let  go,"  continued  he, 
tearing  off  Begum  and  throwing  her  away.  Begum  imme- 
diately scampered  to  the  wagon  and  hid  herself. 

They  had  just  wakened  up  the  two  Hottentots,  when  a 
roar  was  given  so  loud  and  tremendous  that  it  appeared  like 
thunder,  and  was  reverberated  from  the  rocks  opposite  for 
some  seconds. 

No  one  but  those  who  have  been  in  the  country,  and  have 
fallen  in  with  this  animal  in  its  wild  and  savage  state,  can  have 
any  idea  of  the  appalling  effect  of  a  lion's  roar.  What  is  heard 
in  a  menagerie  is  weak,  and  can  give  but  a  faint  conception  of 
it.  In  the  darkness  of  the  night,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  tell 
from  what  quarter  the  sound  proceeds ;  this  arises  from  the 
habit  which  the  animal  has  of  placing  his  mouth  close  to  the 
ground  when  he  roars,  so  that  his  voice  rolls  over  the  earth, 
as  it  were  like  a  breaker,  and  the  sound  is  carried  along  with 
all  its  tremendous  force.     It  is  indeed  a  most  awful  note  of 


^  ELEPHANTS   AND   LIONS.     '  4:13 

preparation,  and  so  thought  Alexander,  who  had  never  heard 
one  before. 

The  CafFres  had  wakened  up  at  the  noise,  and  our  travel- 
lers and  the  Hottentots  now  fired  their  guns  off  in  every  direc- 
tion to  scare  away  the  animal.  Repeated  discharges  had  this 
effect,  and  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour  every  thing  was  again 
quiet. 

*•  Well,"  observed  Alexander,  "  this  is  the  first  time  that  I 
ever  heard  the  roar  of  the  lion  in  its  wild  state,  and  I  can  as- 
sure you  that  I  shall  never  forget  it  as  long  as  I  live." 

"  It  is  not  the  first  time  that  I  have  heard  it,"  replied  the 
Major  ;  "  but  I  must  say,  what  with  the  darkness  and  stillness 
of  the  night  and  the  reverberation,  I  never  heard  it  so  awful 
before.  But  you,  Swinton,  who  have  travelled  in  the  Namaqua 
land,  have,  of  course." 

"  Yes,  I  have,  but  very  seldom." 

"  But  it  is  rather  singular  that  we  have  not  heard  the  lion 
before  this,  is  it  not  ?  "  said  Alexander. 

"  The  lion  is  often  very  near  without  giving  you  notice," 
replied  Swinton ;  "  but  I  do  not  think  that  there  are  many 
lions  in  the  country  we  have  traversed ;  it  is  too  populous. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  mountains,  if  we  return  that  way,  we 
shall  find  them  in  plenty.  Wherever  the  antelopes  are  in 
herds,  wherever  you  find  the  wild  horse,  zebra,  and  giraffe,  you 
will  as  certainly  find  the  lion,  for  he  preys  upon  them." 

"  I  know  very  well,  Swinton,  that  you  are  closely  attentive 
to  the  peculiar  habits  of  animals,  and  that  they  form  a  portion 
of  your  study.  Have  you  much  knowledge  of  the  lion  ?  and 
if  so,  suppose  you  tell  us  something  about  him." 

"  I  have  certainly  studied  the  habits  of  the  lion,  and  what 
I  have  gathered  from  my  own  observation  and  the  information 
I  have  received  from  others,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  commu- 
nicate. The  lion  undoubtedly  does  not  kill  wantonly — of  that 
I  have  had  repeated  instances.  I  recollect  one  which  is  rather 
remarkable,  as  it  showed  the  sagacity  of  the  noble  brute.     A 


414  AFKICA. 

man  who  belonged  to  one  of  the  mission  stations,  on  his  return 
home  from  a  visit  to  his  friends,  took  a  circuitous  route  to 
pass  by  a  pool  of  water,  at  which  he  hoped  to  kill  an  antelope. 
The  sun  had  risen  to  some  height  when  he  arrived  there,  and 
as  he  could  not  perceive  any  game,  he  laid  his  gun  down  on  a 
low  shelving  rock,  the  back  part  of  which  was  covered  with 
some  brushwood.  He  went  down  to  the  pool,  and  had  a 
hearty  drink,  returned  to  the  rock,  and  after  smoking  his  pipe, 
feeling  weary,  he  laid  down  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

"  In  a  short  time,  the  excessive  heat  reflected  from  the 
rock  awoke  him,  and  opening  his  eyes,  he  perceived  a  large 
lion  about  a  yard  from  his  feet  crouched  down,  with  his  eyes 
glaring  on  his  face.  For  some  minutes  he  remained  motion- 
less with  fright,  expecting  every  moment  that  he  would  be  in 
the  jaws  of  the  monster ;  at  last  he  recovered  his  presence  of 
mind,  and  casting  his  eye  toward  his  gun,  moved  his  hand 
slowly  toward  it ;  upon  which  the  lion  raised  up  his  head  and 
gave  a  tremendous  roar,  which  induced  him  hastily  to  with- 
draw his  hand.  With  this  the  lion  appeared  satisfied,  and 
crouched  with  his  head  between  his  fore-paws  as  before. 
After  a  little  while,  the  man  made  another  attempt  to  possess 
himself  of  his  gun  ;  the  lion  raised  his  head  and  gave  another 
roar,  and  the  man  desisted ;  another  and  another  attempt  were 
at  intervals  made,  but  always  with  the  same  anger  shown  on 
the  part  of  the  lion. 

"  Why,  the  lion  must  have  known  what  he  wanted  the  gun 
for." 

"  Most  certainly  he  did,  and  therefore  would  not  allow  the 
man' to  touch  it.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  the  sagacious  crea- 
ture had  been  fired  at  before ;  but  you  observe,  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  harm  the  man.  He  appeared  to  say — ^You  are  in 
my  power ;  you  shall  not  go  away ;  you  shall  not  take  your 
musket  to  shoot  me  with,  or  I  will  tear  you  to  pieces." 

"  It  certainly  was  very  curious.     Pray  how  did  it  end?" 

u  Wliy,  the  heat  of  the  sun  on  the  rock  was  so  overpower- 


ELEPHANTS   AND   LIONS. 


415 


ing,  that  the  man  was  in  great  agony ;  his  naked  feet  were  so 
burnt,  that  he  was  compeUed  to  keep  moving  them,  by  placing 
one  upon  the  other  and  changing  them  every  minute.     The 


LION   HUNTING. 


4:16  APEICA. 

day  passed  and  the  wight  also  ;  the  lion  never  moved  from  the 
spot.  The  sun  rose  again,  and  the  heat  became  so  intense 
that  the  poor  man's  feet  were  past  all  feeling.  At  noon,  on 
that  day,  the  lion  rose  and  walked  to  the  pool,  which  was  only 
a  few  yards  distant,  looking  behind  him  every  moment  to  see 
if  the  man  moved  ;  the  man  once  more  attempted  to  reach  his 
gun,  and  the  lion  perceiving  it,  turned  in  a  rage,  and  was  on 
the  point  of  springing  upon  him  ;  the  man  withdrew  his  hand, 
and  the  beast  was  pacified." 

"  How  very  strange  ! " 

"  The  animal  went  to  the  water  and  drank ;  it  then  re- 
turned and  lay  down  at  the  same  place  as  before,  about  a  yard 
from  the  man's  feet.  Another  night  passed  away  and  the  lion 
kept  at  his  post.  The  next  day,  in  the  forenoon,  the  animal 
again  went  to  the  water,  and  while  there,  he  looked  as  if  he 
iieard  a  noise  in  an  opposite  quarter,  and  then  disappeared  in 
the  bushes. 

"  Perceiving  this,  the  man  made  an  effort  and  seized  his 
gun,  but  in  attempting  to  rise  he  found  it  not  in  his  power,  as 
the  strength  of  his  ankles  was  gone.  With  his  gun  in  his 
hand  he  crept  to  the  pool  and  drank,  and  looking  at  his  feet, 
he  discovered  that  his  toes  had  been  quite  roasted  and  the  skin 
torn  off  as  he  crawled  through  the  grass.  He  sat  at  the  pool 
for  a  few  moments,  expecting  the  lion's  return,  and  resolved 
to  send  the  contents  of  his  gun  through  his  head ;  but  the  lion 
did  not  return,  so  the  poor  fellow  tied  his  gun  on  his  back  and 
crawled  away  on  his  hands  and  knees  as  well  as  he  could. 
He  was  quite  exhausted,  and  could  have  proceeded  no  further, 
when  providentially  a  person  fell  in  with  him  and  assisted  him 
home  ;  but  he  lost  his  toes,  and  was  a  cripple  for  life." 

"  What  makes  this  story  more  remarkable  is,"  observed 
the  Major,  "  that  the  lion,  as  it  is  rational  to  suppose,  must 
have  been  hungry  after  watching  the  man  for  sixty  hours, 
even  admitting  that  he  had  taken  a  meal  but  a  short  time 
before." 


•  ELEPHA2n"8  AND  LIONS.  417 

"  I  know  many  other  very  curious  and  well-authenticated 
anecdotes  about  this  noble  animal,"  observed  Swinton,  "  which  I 
shall  be  happy  to  give  you  ;  but  I  must  look  at  my  memorandum 
book,  or  I  may  not  be  quite  correct  in  my  story.  One  fact  is 
very  remarkable,  and  as  I  had  it  from  Mr. ,  the  mission- 
ary, who  stated  that  he  had  several  times  observed  it  himself, 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  vouching  for  its  correctness,  the  more 
so,  as  I  did  once  perceive  a  similar  fact  myself;  it  is,  that  the 
fifth  commandment  is  observed  by  the  lions — they  honor  their 
father  and  mother. 

"  If  an  old  lion  is  in  company  with  his  children,  as  the 
natives  call  them,  although  they  are  in  size  equal  to  himself; 
or  if  a  number  of  lions  meet  together  in  quest  of  game,  there 
is  always  one  who  is  admitted  by  them  to  be  the  oldest  and 
ablest,  and  who  leads.  If  the  game  is  come  up  with,  it  is  this 
one  who  creeps  up  to  it  and  seizes  it,  while  the  others  lie 
crouched  upon  the  grass  ;  if  the  old  lion  is  successful,  which 
he  generally  is,  he  retires  from  his  victim  and  lies  down  to 
breathe  himself  and  rest  for  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
The  others  in  the  mean  time  draw  round  and  lie  down  at  a 
respectful  distance,  but  never  presume  to  go  near  the  animal 
which  the  old  lion  has  killed.  As  soon  as  the  old  lion  consid- 
ers himself  sufSciently  rested,  he  goes  up  to  the  prey  and  com- 
mences at  the  breast  and  stomach,  and  after  eating  a  consider- 
able portion,  he  will  take  a  second  rest,  none  of  the  others 
presuming  to  move. 

"  Having  made  a  second  repast,  he  then  retires  ;  the  other 
lions  watch  his  motions,  and  all  rush  to  the  remainder  of  the 
carcass,  which  is  soon  devoured.  I  said  that  I  witnessed  an 
instance  myself  in  corroboration  of  this  statement,  which  I 
will  now  mention.  I  was  sitting  on  a  rock  after  collecting 
some  plants,  when  below  me  I  saw  a  young  lion  seize  an  ante- 
lope ;  he  had  his  paw  upon  the  dead  animal,  when  the  old  lion 
came  up — upon  which  the  young  one  immediately  retired  till 
18* 


418  AFRICA.  « 

his  superior  had  dined  first,  and  then  came  in  for  the  remain- 
der.    Mercy  on  us  !  what  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  thought  it  was  the  lion  again,"  said  Alexander,  "  but  it 
is  thunder  ;  we  are  about  to  have  a  storm." 

"  Yes,  and  a  fierce  one  too,"  said  the  Major  ;  "  I  am  afraid 
that  we  must  break  up  our  party  and  retire  under  cover.  "We 
have  some  large  drops  of  rain  already." 

A  flash  of  lightning  now  dazzled  them,  and  was  followed 
by  another,  and  an  instantaneous  peal  of  thunder. 

"  There  is  no  mistake  in  this,"  said  Swinton,  "  and  I  can 
tell  you  that  we  shall  have  it  upon  us  in  less  than  a  minute,  so 
I  am  for  my  wagon." 

"  At  all  events  it  will  wash  these  Hottentots  sober,"  ob- 
served the  Major,  as  they  all  walked  away  to  their  separate 
wagons  for  shelter. 

They  had  scarcely  gained  the  wagons  before  the  thunder 
and  lightning  became  incessant,  and  so  loud  as  to  be  deafening. 
It  appeared  as  if  they  were  in  the  very  centre  of  the  contend- 
ing elements,  and  the  wind  rose  and  blew  with  terrific  force, 
while  the  rain  poured  down  as  if  the  floodgates  of  heaven  were 
indeed  opened.  The  lightning  was  so  vivid,  that  for  the  sec- 
ond that  it  lasted  you  could  see  the  country  round  to  the  hori- 
zon almost  as  clear  as  day ;  the  next  moment  all  was  ten'ific 
gloom  accompanied  by  the  stunning  reports  of  the  thunder, 
which  caused  every  article  in  the  wagons,  and  the  wagons 
themselves,  to  vibrate  from  the  concussion.  A  large  tree,  not 
fifty  yards  from  the  caravan,  was  struck  by  the  lightning  and 
came  down  with  an  appalling  crash.  The  Caffi-es  had  all 
roused  up,  and  had  sheltered  themselves  under  the  wagons. 

The  Hottentots  had  also  begun  to  move,  but  had  not  yet 
recovered  their  senses — indeed,  they  were  again  stupefied  by 
the  clamor  of  the  elements.  The  storm  lasted  about  an  hour, 
and  then  as  suddenly  it  cleared  up  again  ;  the  stars  again  made 
their  appearance  in  the  sky  above,  and  the  red  tinge  oT  the 
horizon  announced  the  approach  of  daylight.    Wlien  the  storm 


ELEPHANTS  AND   LIONS.  419 

ceased,  our  travellers,  who  had  not  taken  off  their  clothes, 
came  out  from  their  shelter,  and  met  each  other  by  the  side  of 
the  extinguished  fire. 

"  Well,"  said  Alexander,  "  I  have  been  made  wise  on  two 
points  this  night ;  I  now  know  what  an  African  storm  is,  and 
also  the  roar  of  an  African  lion.  Have  you  heard  if  there  is 
any  mischief  done,  Bremen?"  continued  Alexander,  to  the 
Hottentot,  who  stood  by. 

"  No,  sir  ;  but  I  am  afraid  it  will  take  us  a  long  while  to 
collect  the  cattle  ;  they  will  be  dispersed  in  all  directions,  and 
we  may  have  lost  some  of  them.  It  will  soon  be  dayligkt, 
and  then  we  must  set  off  after  them." 

"  Are  those  fellows  quite  sober  now?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Bremen,  laughing ;  "  water  ho^  washed 
all  the  liquor  out  of  them." 

"  Well,  you  may  tell  them,  as  a  punishment,  I  shall  stop 
their  tobacco  for  a  week." 

"Better  not  now,  sir,"  said  Bremen,  thoughtfully;  the 
men  don't  like  to  go  further  up  the  country,  and  they  may  be 
troublesome." 

"  I  think  so  too,"  said  Swinton  ;  ^'  you  must  recollect  that 
the  cask  was  running  out,  and  the  temptation  was  too  strong. 
I  should  overlook  it  this  time.  Give  them  a  severe  reprimand, 
and  let  them  off.", 

*'  I  believe  it  will  be  the  best  way,"  replied  Alexander ; 
"  not  that  I  fear  their  refusing  to  go  on,  for  if  they  do,  I  will 
dismiss  them,  and  go  on  with  the  Caffres ;  they  dare  not  go 
back  by  themselves,  that  is  certain." 

"  Sir,"  said  Bremen,  "  that  is  very  true ;  but  must  not 
trust  the  Caffres  too  much — Caffres  always  try  to  get  guns  and 
ammunition  :  Caffre  king,  Hinza,  very  glad  to  get  the  wagons, 
and  what  is  in  them  ;  make  him  rich  man,  and  powerful  man, 
with  so  many  guns.  Caffre  king  will  not  rob  in  his  own  coun- 
try, because  he  is  afraid  of  the  English ;  but  if  the  wagon's 
robbed,  and  you  all  killed  in  this  country,  which  is  not  his,  then 


4:20  AFRICA. 

he  make  excuses,  and  say,  I  know  nothing  about  it.  Say  that 
their  people  do  it,  not  his  people." 

"  Bremen  talks  very  sensibly,"  said  the  Major  ;  "  we  must 
keep  the  Hottentots  as  a  check  to  the  Caffres,  and  the  Caffres 
as  a  check  to  the  Hottentots." 

"  That  is  our  policy,  depend  upon  it,"  replied  Swinton. 

"  You  are  right,  and  we  will  do  so  ;  but  the  day  is  break- 
ing ;  so,  Bremen,  collect  the  people  together  to  search  for  the 
cattle  ;  and  Omrah,  tell  Mohammed  to  come  here." 

"By  the  bye,  Swinton,"  said  Major  Henderson,  "those 
elephants'  tusks  lying  by  the  wagon  remind  me  of  a  question 
I  want  to  put  to  you  : — In  Ceylon,  where  I  have  often  hunted 
the  elephant,  they  have  no  tusks ;  and  in  India  the  tusks  are 
not  comijion,  and  in  general  very  small.  How  do  you  account 
for  this  variety  ?  " 

"  It  has  been  observed  before ;  and  it  is  but  a  fair  sur- 
mise, that  Providence,  ever  attentive  to  the  wants  of  the  mean- 
est animals,  has  furnished  such  large  tusks  to  the  African  ele- 
phant for  the  necessity  which  requires  them.  In  Ceylon  there 
is  plenty  of  grass,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  water  all  the 
year  round :  and  further,  in  Ceylon  the  elephant  has  no  ene- 
my to  defend  himself  against.  Here  in  Africa  the  rivers  are 
periodical  torrents,  which  dry  up,  and  the  only  means  which 
an  elephant  has  of  obtaining  water  during  the  dry  season  is  to 
dig  with  his  tusks  into  the  bed  of  the  river,  till  he  finds  the 
water,  which  he  draws  up  with  his  trunk.  Moreover,  he  has 
to  defend  himself  against  the  rhinoceros,  which  is  a  formiable 
antagonist,  and  often  victorious.  He  requires  tusks  also  for 
his  food  in  this  country,  for  the  elephant  digs  up  the  mimosa 
here  with  his  tusks,  that  he  may  feed  upon  the  succulent  roots 
of  the  tree.  Indeed,  an  elephant  in  Africa  without  his  tusks 
could  not  well  exist." 

"  Thank  you  for  yom'  explanation,  which  appears  very 
satisfactory  and  conclusive ;  and  now  let  us  go  to  breakfast, 
for  Mohammed,  I  perceive,  is  ready,  and  Omrah  has  displayed 


ELEPHANTS   AKD  LIONS.  421 

our  tea  cups,  and  is  very  busy  blowing  into  the  spout  of  the 
tea  pot,  a  Bushman  way  of  ascertaining  if  it  is  stopped  up. 
However  we  must  not  expect  to  make  a  London  footman  out 
of  a  '  Child  of  the  Desert.' " 

"  Where  is  his  adversary  and  antagonist,  the  valiant  Big 
Adam?" 

"■  He  was  among  those  who  indulged  in  the  liquor  yester- 
day afternoon,  and  I  believe  was  worse  than  any  one  of  them. 
The  little  Bushman  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  his  de- 
fenceless state,  and  has  been  torturing  him  in  every  way  he 
could  imagine  during  the  whole  night.  I  saw  him  pouring 
water  into  the  Hottentot's  mouth  as  he  lay  on  his  back  with 
his  mouth  wide  open,  till  he  nearly  choked  him.  To  get  it 
down  faster,  Omrah  had  taken  the  big  tin  funnel,  and  4iad  in- 
'serted  one  end  into  his  mouth,  which  he  filled  till  the  water 
ran  out ;  after  that,  he  was  trying  what  he  could  do  with  fire, 
for  he  began  putting  hot  embers  between  Big  Adam's  toes — I 
dare  say  the  fellow  cannot  walk  to-day." 

"  I  fear  that,  some  day,  he  will  kill  Omrah,  or  do  him 
some  serious  injury ;  the  boy  must  be  cautioned,"  said  Alex- 
ander. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  of  no  use,  and  Omrah  must  take 
his  chance — he  is  aware  of  Big  Adam's  enmity  as  well  as  you 
are,  and  is  always  on  his  guard ;  but  as  for  persuading  him 
to  leave  off  his  tricks  or  to  reconcile  them  to  each  other,  it 
is  impossible,"  said  Swinton — "  you  don't  know  a  Bushman." 

"  Then  pray  tell  us  something  about  them,"  said  the  Ma- 
jor, as  soon  as  you  have  finished  that  elephant's  steak,  which 
you  appear  to  approve  of.     Of  what  race  are  the  Bushmen  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  I  have  finished  my  breakfast,"  re- 
plied Swinton,  "  and  not  before — if  I  begin  to  talk,  you  will 
eat  all  the  steak,  and  that  won't  do." 

"  I  suspect  that  we  shall  not  leave  this  to-day,"  said  Alex- 
ander. "  If,  as  Bremen  says,  the  cattle  have  strayed  very  far, 
it  will  be  too  late  to  go  in  the  afternoon,  and  to-morrow  you 


4^2  AFEICA. 

recollect  is  Sunday,  and  that,  we  have  agreed,  shall  be  kept  as 
it  ought  to  be." 

"  Very  true,"  said  the  Major  ;  "  then  we  must  make  S win- 
ton  entertain  us,  by  telling  us  more  about  the  lions,  for  he  had 
not  finished  when  the  storm  came  on." 

"  No,"  replied  S  win  ton  ;  "  I  had  a  great  deal  more  to  say, 
and  I  shall  be  very  happy  at  any  seasonable  time.  Major,  to 
tell  you  what  I  know — ^but  not  just  now." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  said  the  Major,  putting  another  piece 
of  elephant's  steak  upon  Swinton's  plate,  "  pray  don't  entertain 
the  idea  that  I  want  you  to  talk  on  purpose  that  I  may  eat 
your  share  and  my  own  too ;  only  ascribe  my  impatience  to 
the  true  cause — the  delight  I  have  in  receiving  instruction  and 
amusement  fjrom  you." 

"  Well,  Swinton,  you  have  extorted  a  compliment  from  the* 
Major." 

"  Yes,  and  an  extra  allowance  of  steak,  which  is  a  better 
thing,"  replied  Swinton,  laughing.  "  Now  I  have  finished 
my  breakfast,  I  will  tell  you  what  I  know  about  Omrah's  peo- 
ple. 

"  The  Bushmen  are  originally  a  Hottentot  race — of  that  I 
think  there  is  little  doubt ;  but  I  believe  they  are  a  race  of 
people  produced  by  circumstances,  if  I  may  use  the  expression. 
The  Hottentot  on  the  plains  live  a  nomade  life,  pasturing  and 
living  upon  his  herds.  The  Bushman  may  be  considered  as 
the  Hottentot  driven  out  of  his  fertile  plains,  deprived  of  his 
cattle,  and  compelled  to  resort  to  the  hiUs  for  his  safety  and 
subsistence — in  short,  a  Hill  Hottentot :  impelled  by  hunger 
and  by  injuries,  he  has  committed  depredations  upon  the  prop- 
erty of  others  until  he  has  had  a  mark  set  upon  him ;  his 
hand  has  been  against  every  man,  and  he  has  been  hunted  like 
a  wild  beast,  and  compelled  to  hide  himself  in  the  caves  of  al- 
most inaccessible  rocks  and  hills. 

"  Thus,  generation  after  generation,  he  has  suffered  priva- 
tion and  hunger,  till  the  race  has  dwindled  down  to  the  small 


ELEPHANTS   AND   LIONS.  423 

size  which  it  is  at  present.  Unable  to  contend  against  force, 
his  only  weapons  have  been  his  cunning  and  his  poisoned  ar- 
rows, and  with  them  he  has  obtained  his  livelihood — or  rather, 
it  may  be  said,  has  contrived  to  support  life,  and  no  more. 
There  are,  however,  many  races  mixed  up  with  the  Bushmen  ; 
for  runaway  slaves,  brought  from  Madagascar,  Malays,  and 
even  those  of  the  mixed  white  breed,  when  they  have  commit- 
ted murder  or  other  penal  crimes,  have  added  to  the  race  and 
incorporated  themselves  with  them  ;  they  are  called  the  Chil- 
dren of  the  Desert,  and  they  are  literally  such." 

"  Have  you  seen  much  of  them?  " 

"  Yes,  when  I  was  in  the  Namaqua  land  and  in  the  Bechu- 
ana  territory  I  saw  a  great  deal  of  them.  I  do  not  think  that 
they  are  insensible  to  kindness,  and  moreover,  I  believe  that 
they  may  often  be  trusted,  but  you  run  a  great  risk." 

"  Have  they  ever  shown  any  gratitude  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  when  I  have  killed  game  for  them,  they  have  fol- 
lowed me  on  purpose  to  show  me  the  pools  of  water,  without 
which  we  should  have  suffered  severely,  if  we  had  not  perish- 
ed. We  were  talking  about  lions  ;  it  is  an  old  received  opin- 
ion that  the  jackal  is  the  lion's  provider  ;  it  would  be  a  more 
correct  one  to  say  that  the  lion  is  the  Bushman's  provider." 

"  Indeed ! " 

"  I  once  asked  a  Bushman,  '  How  do  you  live  ? '  His  re- 
ply was,  '  I  live  by  the  lions.'  I  asked  him  to  explain  to  me. 
He  said,  '  I  will  show  what  I  do :  I  let  the  lions  follow  the 
game  and  kill  it  and  eat  it  till  they  have  their  bellies  full,  then 
I  go  up  to  where  the  lion  is  sitting  down  by  the  carcass,  and  I- 
go  pretty  near  to  him  ;  I  cry  out,  '  What  have  you  got  there, 
cannot  you  spare  me  some  of  it  ?  Go  away  and  let  me  have 
some  meat,  or  I'll  do  you  some  harm.  Then  I  dance  and 
jump  about  and  shake  my  skin  dress,  and  the  lion  looks  at  me, 
and  he  turns  round  and  walks  away ;  he  growls  very  much, 
but  he  don't  stay,  and  then  I  eat  the  rest.' " 

"  And  is  that  true  ?  " 


424:  AFEICA. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  it,  as  I  have  had  it  confessed  by  many 
others.  The  fact  is,  the  lion  is  only  dangerous  when  he  is 
hungry — that  is,  if  he  is  not  attacked  ;  and  if,  as  the  Bushman 
said,  the  lion  has  eaten  sufficiently,  probably  not  wishing  to  be 
disturbed,  after  his  repast,  by  the  presence  and  shouts  of  the 
Bushman,  the  animal  retires  to  some  other  spot.  I  was  in- 
formed that,  a  very  short  time  afterwards,  this  Bushman,  who 
told  ipe  what  I  have  detailed  to  you,  was  killed  by  a  lioness, 
when  attempting  to  drive  it  away  from  its  prey  by  shouting  as 
he  was  used  to  do.  The  fact  was,  that  he  perceived  a  lioness 
devouring  a  wild  horse,  and  went  up  to  her  as  usual,  but  he 
did  not  observe  that  she  had  her  whelps  with  her :  he  shouted ; 
she  growled  savagely,  and  before  he  had  time  to  retreat,  she 
sprang  upon  him  and  tore  him  to  pieces." 

"  They  lion  does  not  prey  upon  men,  then,  although  he  de- 
stroys them  ?  " 

"  Not  generally  ;  but  the  Namaqua  people  told  me  that,  if 
a  lion  once  takes  a  fancy  to  men's  flesh — and  they  do,  after 
they  have  in  their  hunger  devoured  one  or  two — ^they  become 
doubly  dangerous,  as  they  will  leave  all  other  game  and  hunt 
man  only ;  but  this  I  cannot  vouch  for  being  the  truth,  al- 
though it  is  very  probable." 

"  If  we  judge  from  analogy,  it  is,"  replied  the  Major. 
"  The  Bengal  tigers  in  India,  it  is  well  known,  if  they  once 
taste  human  flesh,  prefer  it  to  all  other,  and  they  are  well 
known  to  the  natives,  who  term  them  men-eaters.  Strange  to 
say,  it  appears  that  human  flesh  is  not  wholesome  for  them ; 
-for  their  skins  become  mangy  after  they  have  taken  to  eating 
that  alone.  I  have  shot  a  '  man-eater '  from  the  back  of  an 
elephant,  and  I  found  that  the  skin  was  not  worth  taking." 

"  The  Namaquas,"  replied  Swinton,  "  told  me  that  a  lion, 
once  enamoured  of  human  flesh,  would,  in  order  to  obtain  it, 
so  far  overcome  his  caution,  that  he  would  leap  through  a  fire 
to  seize  a  man.  I  once  went  to  visit  a  Namaqua  chief,  who 
had  been  severely  wounded  by  a  lion  of  this  description — a 


ELEPHANTS    AND   LIONS.  425 

man-eater,  as  tlie  Major  terms  them — and  he  gave  me  the 
following  dreadful  narrative,  which  certainly  corroborates  what 
they  assert  of  the  lion  who  has  once  taken  a  fancy  to  human 
flesh. 

"  The  chief  told  me  that  he  had  gone  out  with  a  party  of 
his  men  to  hunt ;  they  had  guns,  bows  and  arrows,  and  assa- 
guays.  On  the  first  day,  as  they  were  pursuing  an  elephant, 
they  came  across  some  lions,  who  attacked  them,  and  they 
were  obliged  to  save  their  lives  by  abandoning  a  horse,  which 
the  lionfi  devoured.  They  then  made  hiding  places  of  thick 
bushes  by  a  pool,  where  they  knew  the  elephant  and  rhinoce- 
ros would  come,  to  drink. 

"  As  they  fired  at  a  rhinoceros,  a  lion  leaped  into  their  in- 
closure,  took  up  one  of  the  men  in  his  mouth  and  carried  him 
off,  and  aU  that  they  afterwards  could  find  of  him  the  next 
day,  was  one  of  the  bones  of  his  leg.  The  next  night,  as  they 
were  sitting  by  a  fire  inside  of  their  inclosure  of  bushes,  a  lion 
came,  seized  one  of  the  men,  dragged  him  through  the  fire,  and 
tore  out  his  back.  One  of  the  party  fired,  but  missed ;  upon 
which  the  lion,  dropping  his  dying  victim,  growled  at  the  men 
across  the  fire,  and  they  durst  not  repeat  the  shot ;  the  lion 
then  took  up  his  prey  in  his  mouth,  and  went  off  with  it. 

"  Alarmed  at  such  disasters,  the  Namaquas  collected  to- 
gether in  one  strong  inclosure,  and  at  night  sent  out  one  of  the 
slaves  for  water.  He  had  no  sooner  reached  the  pool  than  he 
was  seized  by  a  lion ;  he  called  in  vain  for  help,  but  was 
dragged  off  through  the  woods,  and  the  next  day  his  skull 
only  was  found,  clean  licked  by  the  rough  tongue  of  the  lion. 

''  Having  now  lost  three  men  in  three  days,  the  chief  and 
his  whole  party  turned  out  to  hunt  and  destroy  lions  only. 
They  followed  the  spoor  or  track  of  the  one  which  had  taken 
the  slave,  and  they  soon  found  two  lions,  one  of  which,  the 
smallest,  they  shot ;  and  then,  having  taken  their  breakfast, 
they  went  after  the  other  and  largest,  which  was  recognized  as 
the  one  which  had  devoured  the  man. 


426  AFEICA. 

"  They  followed  the  animal  to  a  patch  of  reeds,  where  it 
had  intrenched  itself ;  they  set  fire  to  the  reeds  and  forced  it 
out,  and  as  it  was  walking  off  it  was  severely  wounded  by  one 
of  the  party,  when  it  immediately  turned  back,  and,  with  a 
loud  roar,  charged  right  through  the  smoke  and  the  burning 
reeds.  The  monster  dashed  in  among  them  and  seized  the 
chiefs  brother  by  the  back,  tearing  out  his  ribs  and  exposing 
his  lungs. 

"  The  chief  rushed  to  the  assistance  of  his  expiring  broth- 
er ;  his  gun  burnt  priming.  He  dashed  it  down,  and  in  his 
desperation  seized  the  lion  by  the  tail.  The  lion  let  go  the 
body,  and  turned  upon  the  chief,  and  with  a  stroke  of  his  fore 
paw  tore  a  large  piece  of  flesh  off  the  chiefs  arm  ;  then  struck 
him  again  and  threw  him  on  the  ground.  The  chief  rose  in- 
stantly, but  the  lion  then  seized  him  by  the  knee,  threw 
him  down  again,  and  there  held  him,  mangling  his  left  arm. 

"  Torn  and  bleeding,  the  chief  in  a  feeble  voice  called  to 
his  men  to  shoot  the  animal  from  behind,  which  was  at  last 
done  with  a  ball  which  passed  through  the  lion's  brain.  After 
this  destruction  of  four  men  in  four  days,  the  hunting  was 
given  over ;  the  body  of  the  chiefs  brother  was  buried,  and 
the  party  went  home  bearing  with  them  their  wounded  chief." 

"  Well,  that  is  the  most  horrible  lion  adventure  I  have  yet 
heard,"  said  the  Major.  "  Heaven  preserve  us  from  a  man- 
eating  lion ! " 

"  It  really  has  almost  taken  away  my  breath,"  said  Alex- 
ander. 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  tell  you  one  more  amusing,  and  not  so 
fatal  in  its  results ;  I  was  told  it  by  a  Bushman,"  said  Swin- 
ton.  "  A  Bushman  was  following  a  herd  of  zebras,  and  had 
just  succeeded  in  wounding  one  with  his  arrow,  when  he  dis- 
covered that  he  had  been  interfering  with  a  lion  who  was  also 
in  chase  of  the  same  animals.  As  the  lion  appeared  very 
angry  at  this  interference  with  his  rights'as  lord  of  the  manor, 
and  evidently  inclined  to  punish  the  Bushman  as  a  poacher 


EGYPTIAN   WOOT)EES.  427 

upon  his  preserves,  the  latter  perceiving  a  tree  convenient, 
climbed  up  into  it  as  fast  as  he  could.  The  lion  allowed  the 
herd  of  zebras  to  go  away,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the 
Bushman.  He  walked  round  and  round  the  tree,  and  every 
now  and  then  he  growled  as  he  looked  up  at  the  Bushman. 

"At  last  the  )ion  lay  down  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and 
there  he  kept  watch  aU  night.  The  Bushman  kept  watch  also, 
but  toward  morning  feeling  very  tired,  he  was  overcome  by 
sleep,  and  as  he  slept  he  dreamed,  and  what  do  you  think  he 
dreamed? — ^he  dreamed  that  he  fell  from  the  tree  into  the 
jaws  of  the  lion.  Starting  up  in  horror  from  the  effects  of  his 
dream,  he  lost  his  hold,  and  falling  from  the  branch,  down  he 
came  with  all  his  weight  right  on  the  back  of  the  lion.  The 
lion,  so  unexpectedly  saluted,  sprang  up  with  a  loud  roar,  toss- 
ing off  the  Bushman,  and  running  away  as  fast  as  he  could ; 
and  the  Bushman  recovering  his  legs  and  senses,  also  took  to 
his  heels,  in  a  different  direction  ;  and  thus  were  the  '  sleepers 
awakened,'  and  the  dream  became  true." 

"  Besiegers  retreating,  and  fort  evacuated  both  at  the  same 
time,"  cried  the  Major,  laughing. 

"  Well,  I  think  you  have  had  enough  of  the  lion  now,"  said 
Swinton. 

"No,  we  had  quite  enough  of  him  last  night,  if  you 
cl^oose,"  replied  Alexander.  "  But  your  lions  are  not  quite  so 
near  as  he  was." 


EGYPTIAN    WONDERS. 

A  GENTLEMAN  of  the  name  of  Burckhardt  had  for  a  long 
time  premeditated  the  removal  of  a  colossal  bust,  known  by 
the  name  of  young  Memnon,  from  Egypt  to  England,  and 
had  often  tried  to  persuade  Ali  to  send  it  as  a  present  to  his 
majesty  ;  however,  the  Turk  did  not  suppose  it  worth  sending 
to  so  great  a  person.     But  Belzoni,  who  had  just  then  com- 


428 


AFRICA. 


menced  his  Egyptian  explorations,  knowing  how  much  that 
gentleman  wished  it,  proposed  to  undertake  its  conveyance 
from  Thebes  to  Alexandria,  and  with  the  bashaw's  consent,  to 
forward  it  from  thence  to  England.  He  therefore  prepared  to 
go  up  the  Nile.     He  was  then  at  Soubra,  three  miles  from 


V  1* 


Ipwiv'ii 


|fpH|^ 


Cairo.  It  was  intended  to  present  this  immense  statue  to  the 
British  Museum,  and  he  was  directed  to  search  for  it  on  the 
southern  side  of  a  ruined  temple,  in  the  vicinity  of  a  village 
called  Gournou,  near  Camac. 

Belzoni  was  requested  to  spare  neither  expense  nor  trouble 
in  getting  it  as  speedily  conveyed  to  the  banks  of  the  river  as 
possible.  So  he  hired  a  boat,  with  four  sailors,  a  boy,  and  a 
captain.    Every  thing  was  soon  ready  for  their  departure  from 


EGYPTIAN   WONDERS.  429 

Soubra.  The  whole  of  the  implements,  for  the  operation  of 
removing-  the  bust,  consisted  of  a  few  poles  and  ropes  of  palm 
leaves.  Mrs.  Belzoni  accompanied  her  husband,  and  they 
agreed  to  stay  and  examine  any  ruins  they  might  pass  on  the 
road.  In  six  days  they  arrived  at  Siout,  the  capital  of  Upper 
Egypt,  and  from  thence  they  went  to  Acmin,  where  they  landed 
to  visit  the  fathers  of  a  convent :  and  again  profceeded,  with 
curiosity  highly  raised,  toward  the  noted  temple  of  Tentyra. 
This  is  the  first  Egyptian  temple  the  traveller  sees,  on  ascend- 
ing the  Nile,  as  well  as  the  most  magnificent. 

It  is  two  miles  from  the  Nile,  and  Belzoni  and  his  party 
having  landed,  set  ofi"  on  asses,  and  proceeded  to  the  ruins. 
Little  could  be  seen  of  the  temple  till  they  were  near  it,  as  it 
is  surrounded  by  high  mounds  of  rubbish. 

When  he  arrived  there,  he  was  for  some  time  at  a  loss  to 
know  in  what  part  to  begin  his  examinations.  The  numerous 
objects  before  him  struck  him  with  surprise  and  astonishment 
— the  immense  masses  of  stone  employed  in  the  edifice — the 
majestic  appearance  of  its  construction — the  variety  of  its  or- 
naments, and  the  excellent  preservation  in  which  he  found  it, 
had  such  an  effect  on  Belzoni,  that  he  seated  himself  on  the 
ground,  lost  in  delight  and  admiration. 

This  temple  is  the  cabinet  of  the  Egyptian  arts,  and  it  is 
supposed  to  have  been  built  during  the  reign  of  the  first 
Ptolemy.  It  is  not  improbable  that  he  who  studied  to  render 
himself  beloved  by  his  people,  might  erect  such  an  edifice  to 
convince  the  Egyptians  of  his  superiority  of  mind  over  the 
ancient  kings  of  Egypt,  even  in  religious  devotion. 

It  will  take  us  too  long  to  describe  this  famous  temple 
minutely.  When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belzoni  had  gratified  their 
curiosity,  they  returned  to  their  little  boat,  and  embarked  for 
Thebes.  They  will  soon  have  reached  the  end  of  their  voy- 
age, and  then  for  the  great  colossal  bust. 

Belzoni  says,  that  it  is  impossible  to  imagine  the  scene  dis- 
played by  the  extensive  ruins  at  Thebes.     It  appeared  to  him. 


430  '  AFRICA. 

on  entering  it,  like  a  city  of  giants,  who  were  all  destroyed, 
leaving  only  the  remains  of  various  temples,  as  proofs  of  their 
former  existence.  The  attention  is  attracted  on  one  side  by 
towering  ruins  that  project  above  a  noble  wood  of  palm-trees, 
and  there  the  traveller  enters  an  endless  number  of  temples, 
columns,  obelisks,  and  portals.  On  every  side  he  finds  him- 
self among  wonders.  The  immense  colossal  figures  in  the 
plains,  the  number  of  tombs  hollowed  in  the  rocks,  those  in 
the  great  valley  of  the  kings,  with  their  paintings,  sculptures, 
mummies,  and  figures,  are  all  objects  worthy  of  admiration, 
and  one  cannot  fail  to  wonder  how  a  nation,  which  was  once 
so  great  as  to  erect  these  stupendous  edifices,  could  so  far  fall 
into  oblivion,  that  even  its  language  and  writing  are  totally 
unknown  to  us. 

Having  taken  a  survey  of  this  seat  of  ancient  grandeur, 
Belzoni  crossed  the  Nile,  and  bent  his  way  toward  the  ruined 
temple,  near  Gournou.  It  stands  elevated  above  the  plain ; 
he  entered  the  groups  of  columns,  regarding  the  numerous 
tombs  excavated  in  the  high  rock  behind  them,  and  his  first 
thought  was  to  examine  the  bust  he  had  to  take  away. 

He  found  it  on  the  southern  side  of  the  temple,  near  the 
remains  of  its  body  and  chair  with  the  face  upwards.  It  was 
beautiful,  and  of  immense  size. 

Belzoni's  whole  set  of  implements  for  the  removal  of  the 
bust  consisted  of  fourteen  poles,  eight  of  which  he  employed  in 
making  a  car,  four  ropes  of  palm-leaves,  and  four  rollers — they 
were  better  than  wheels  ;  and  he  now  began  to  be  very  busy. 

As  the  bust  was  some  way  from  the  Nile,  it  would  have 
been  too  far  for  them  to  go  to  sleep  in  the  boat  every  night ; 
so  a  small  hut  was  formed  for  them  with  stones  among  the 
ruins  of  the  temple.  They  were  not  very  handsomely  lodged, 
but  perhaps  they  found  this  little  hut  as  comfortable  as  the 
shabby  old  house  at  Boolac,  which  they  were  always  expecting 
to  fall  upon  their  heads,  and  both  our  travellers  were  used  to 
put  up  with  inconvenient  things. 


EGYPTIAN   WONDERS.  431 

The  season  at  which  time  the  Nile  usually  overflows  was 
fast  approaching,  and  all  of  the  lands  which  extend  from  the 
temple  to  the  water  side,  would  have  been  covered  in  the 
course  of  a  month.  The  ground  between  the  bust  and  the 
river  was  very  uneven,  so  that  unless  it  had  been  conveyed 
over  those  places  before  the  inundation  commenced,  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  have  effected  it,  Belzoni,  therefore, 
lost  no  time.  With  some  difficulty  he  procured  a  number  of 
men,  and  agreed  to  give  them  thirty  paras  a  day,  which  is 
equal  to  four  pence  halfpenny  English  money,  if  they  would  im- 
dertake  to  assist  him.  A  carpenter  made  a  car,  and  the  first 
operation  was  to  place  the  bust  upon  this  simple  carriage. 
The  people  of  Gournou,  who  were  familiar  with  Caphany,  as 
they  named  it,  were  persuaded  that  it  could  never  be  removed 
from  the  spot  where  it  lay,  and  when  they  saw,  what  to  them 
appeared  so  impossible,  they  set  up  a  shout,  and  could  not  be- 
lieve that  it  was  the  effect  of  their  own  efforts.  It  was  then 
placed  upon  the  car  by  the  united  efforts  of  a  large  number  of 
Arabs. 

When  Belzoni  had  succeeded  in  getting  it  removed  some 
yards  from  its  original  place,  he  sent  an  Arab  to  Cairo  with 
the  intelligence  that  the  bust  had  begun  its  journey  to  Eng- 
land. When  the  Arabs  found  that  they  received  money  for 
the  removal  of  a  stone,  they  fancied  that  it  was  filled  with  gold 
in  the  inside,  and  that  a  thing  of  such  value  ought  not  to  be 
permitted  to  be  taken  away. 

However,  the  next  day,  and  the  next,  and  the  next,  Caphany 
advanced  slowly  forward,  and  after  many  delays,  owing  to  the 
softness  of  the  sand,  and  to  the  desertion  of  some  of  the  work- 
men, the  fear  of  an  inundation,  &c.,  Belzoni  had  the  gratifica- 
tion of  seeing  his  young  Memnon  arrive  on  the  banks  of  the 
Nile,  whence  it  was  soon  after  shipped  to  England. 

Belzoni's  next  explorations  were  in  one  of  the  great  caves 
near  Gournou.  Two  Arabs  and  an  interpreter  accompanied 
him.     Previous  to  entering  the  cave,  they  took  off  the  greater 


432  AFBICA. 

part  of  their  clothes,  and  each  having  a  candle,  advanced 
through  a  cavity  in  the  rock,  which  extended  a  considerable 
length  in  the  mountain,  sometimes  high,  sometimes  very  nar- 
row, and  sometimes  so  low  that  Belzoni  and  his  attendants 
were  obliged  to  creep  on  their  hands  and  knees.  Thus  they 
went  on  till  he  perceived  that  they  were  at  a  great  distance 
from  the  entrance,  and  the  way  was  so  intricate  that  he  de- 
pended entirely  on  the  two  Arabs  to  conduct  him  out  again. 
His  situation  now  was  not  to  be  envied — ^you  know  Arabs  are 
sometimes  treacherous. 

At  length  they  arrived  at  a  large  place  into  which  many 
other  holes  or  cavities  opened,  and  after  some  examination  by 
the  Arabs  they  entered  one  of  them,  which  was  very  narrow, 
and  continued  downward  for  a  long  way,  through  a  craggy 
passage,  till  they  came  where  two  other  apertures  led  to  the 
interior  in  a  horizontal  direction.  One  of  the  Arabs  then  said, 
"  This  is  the  place." 

This  might  well  have  startled  Belzoni,  for  he  was  far  from 
the  light  of  day,  in  a  dark  craggy  passage  in  the  midst  of  a 
dismal  mummy  cave,  and  attended  only  by  two  Arabs  and  one 
other  man !  However,  the  Arab  only  intended  to  point  out 
this  spot  as  being  the  situation  of  the  sarcophagus,  but  Belzoni 
could  not  conceive  how  any  thing  so  large  as  it  had  been  de- 
scribed to  him  could  have  been  taken  through  so  small  an 
aperture.  He  had  no  doubt  but  these  recesses  were  burial 
places,  as  skulls  and  bones  were  strewed  in  all  directions  ;  but 
the  sarcophagus  could  never  have  entered  an  aperture  which 
even  Belzoni  himself  could  not  penetrate.  One  of  the  Arabs, 
however,  succeeded,  as  did  the  interpreter,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Belzoni  and  the  other  Arab  should  wait  their  return. 
They  certainly  proceeded  to  a  great  distance,  for  the  light  dis- 
appeared, and  only  a  murmuring  sound  from  their  voices  could 
be  distinguished  as  they  went  on.  After  a  few  moments  a  loud 
noise  was  heard,  and  the  interpreter  distinctly  crying,  "  0  mon 
Dieu !  mon  Dieu !  Je  suis  perdu  !  " — a  solemn  silence  ensued. 


EGYPTIAN   WONDERS.  433 

Belzoni  asked  the  Arab  whether  he  had  ever  been  in  that 
place.     He  replied,  "  Never." 

He  judged  it  to  be  his  best  plan  to  return  and  procure  help 
from  the  other  Arabs.  He  wished  to  do  so,  but  when  he  de- 
sired the  man  to  show  him  the  way  out  again,  he  said  he  did 
not  know  the  road  :  he  then  called — no  answer  was  returned 
— all  was  still  as  death — he  watched  for  a  long  time — no  can- 
dle appeared,  and  his  own  was  almost  burnt  out. 

This  was  an  adventure  indeed ;  he  began  to  think  the 
Arabs  had  some  design  on  his  life,  and  he  endeavored  to  find 
his  way  to  the  entrance.  It  was  a  complete  labyrinth  ;  how- 
ever, he  managed  to  return  through  some  of  the  passages  to 
that  place,  where,  as  I  told  you  just  now,  there  were  many 
cavities.  Here  again  he  was  puzzled ;  but  at  last,  seeing  one 
which  appeared  to  be  right,  they  proceeded  through  it  a  long 
way.  Their  candles  appeared  likely  to  leave  them  in  the  dark, 
and  in  that  case  their  situation  would  have  been  yet  more  de- 
plorable. He  did  not  like  to  put  out  one  of  the  candles  to  save 
it,  for  fear  the  other  might  be  extinguished  by  some  accident. 

At  this  time,  supposing  themselves  near  the  outside  of  the 
tomb,  what  was  their  disappointment  on  fincjjng  there  was  no 
outlet,  and  that  they  must  retrace  their  steps  to  that  place 
whence  they  had  entered  this  cavity.  They  strove  to  regain 
it,  bnt  were  as  perplexed  as  ever,  and  were  both  exhausted 
from  the  ascents  and  descents  which  they  were  obliged  to  pass. 
The  Arab  seated  himself,  but  every  moment  of  delay  was  dan- 
gerous. 

In  going  in  Belzoni  had  thought  to  preserve  a  clue  to  the 
passage  by  putting  a  mark  at  the  entrance  of  each  cavity  as  he 
examined  it,  but  unfortunately  their  candles  were  not  long 
enough  to  last  so  many  researches.  However,  hope,  the 
cheering  star  of  life,  darts  a  ray  of  light  through  the  thickest 
gloom,  and,  encouraged  by  it,  they  began  their  operations. 
On  the  second  attempt,  when  passing  before  a  small  aperture, 
Belzoni  fancied  he  heard  something  like  the  roaring  of  the  sea 
19      . 


434  AFEICA. 

at  a  distance.  In  consequence  they  entered  this  opening,  and 
as  they  advanced  the  noise  increased,  till  they  could  distinctly 
hear  a  number  of  voices  all  at  one  time. 

At  last  they  walked  out,  and  to  their  no  small  surprise,  the 
first  person  who  presented  himself  was  the  interpreter.  How 
he  came  to  be  there  seemed  astonishing.  He  told  them  that, 
in  proceeding  with  the  Arab  along  the  passage  below,  they 
came  to  a  pit  which  they  did  not  see,  and  that  the  Arab  fell 
into  it,  and  in  falling  put  out  both  candles.  It  was  then  that 
he  cried  out,  "  Mon  Dieu  1  je  suis  perdu ! "  as  he  thought  he 
also  should  have  fallen  into  the  pit ;  but,  on  raising  his  head, 
he  saw  at  a  great  distance  a  glimpse  of  daylight,  toward  which 
he  advanced,  and  thus  arrived  at  a  small  aperture.  He  then 
scraped  away  some  loose  sand  and  stones  to  widen  the  place 
where  he  came  out,  and  went  to  give  the  alarm  to  the  Arabs, 
who  were  at  the  other  entrance.  Being  all  concerned  for  the 
man  who  fell  to  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  it  was  their  noise  Bel- 
zoni  had  heard  in  the  cave.  The  place  by  which  the  inter- 
preter had  escaped  was  instantly  widened,  and  in  the  confusion 
the  Arabs  did  not  regard  letting  Belzoni  see  that  they  were 
acquainted  with  that  entrance,  and  that  it  had  lately  been  shut 
up.  He  was  not  long  in  detecting  their  scheme.  They  had 
intended  to  show  him  the  sarcophagus  without  letting  him  see 
the  way  by  which  it  might  be  taken  out,  and  then  to  stipulate 
a  price  for  the  secret,  as  it  was  in  reality  but  one  hundred 
yards  from  the  great  entrance. 

With  this  view  they  had  taken  him  that  roundabout  way. 
They  paid  dear  for  their  intended  deception.  The  man  was 
taken  out  of  the  well,  but  so  much  hurt  as  to  be  lame  ever 
after. 

In  visiting  these  mummy  caves  a  traveller  is  generally 
satisfied  when  he  has  seen  the  large  hall,  the  gallery,  the  stair- 
case, and  as  far  as  he  can  conveniently  go.  Besides,  his  atten- 
tion is  taken  up  by  the  paintings  he  observes  on  the  walls  ;  so 
that,  when  he  comes  to  a  narrow  or  difficult  passage,  or  to 


EGYPTIAN  WONDERS.  435 

have  to  descend  to  the  bottom  of  a  well  or  cavity,  he  declines 
taking  such  trouble,  naturally  supposing  that  he  cannot  see  in 
these  abysses  any  thing  so  magnificent  as  what  he  sees  above, 
and  on  that  account  deeming  it  useless  to  proceed  any  further. 

The  air  is  very  close  and  disagreeable.  Many  persons 
could  not  withstand  the  suffocating  effect  it  produces  ;  and  the 
enterprising  traveller  is  also  annoyed  with  the  immense  quan- 
tity of  fine  dust,  and  the  effluvia  arising  from  the  mummies : 
the  entry  or  passage  where  the  bodies  are  is  roughly  cut  in  the 
rocks,  which  are  of  granite ;  the  falling  of  the  sand  from  the 
upper  part  causes  the  passage  to  be  nearly  filled  up,  so  that  in 
some  parts  there  is  not  more  than  the  vacancy  of  a  foot  or  two 
left,  which  you  must  contrive  to  pass  through  in  a  creeping 
posture,  regardless  of  the  keen  and  pointed  stones  with  which 
the  path  is  strewed.  After  getting  through  these  passages, 
some  of  them  two  or  three  hundred  yards  long,  a  more  com- 
modious place  is  generally  found,  perhaps  high  enough  to  seat 
yourselves.  But  what  a  place  of  rest !  surrounded  by  bodies, 
by  heaps  of  mummies  in  all  directions,  which,  previous  to 
being  accustomed  to  the  sight,  would  impress  upon  the  mind 
disgust  and  horror.  The  blackness  of  the  wall,  the  faint  light 
given  by  the  candles  or  torches  for  want  of  air,  the  different 
objects  that  surround  the  venturous  traveller,  seeming  to  con- 
verse with  each  other,  and  the  Arabs,  with  torches  in  their 
hands,  naked  and  covered  with  dust,  themselves  resembling 
living  mummies,  form  a  scene  that  cannot  be  described. 

In  such  a  situation  our  enterprising  Belzoni,  whom  no  dif- 
ficulties could  deter,  frequently  found  himself.  At  first  he 
generally  returned  exhausted  and  fainting,  but  at  length  be- 
came so  inured  to  the  exertion,  that  he  could  Jfreely  venture 
into  these  caves,  indifferent  to  what  he  suffered.  Sometimes, 
he  tells  us,  after  the  trouble  of  entering  into  such  a  place, 
through  a  passage  of  fifty,  a  hundred,  three  hundred,  or  six 
hundred  yards,  he  would  seek  a  resting-place  and  contrive  to 
sit ;  but  when  his  weight  bore  on  the  body  of  some  decayed 


436  AFEICA. 

Egyptian,  it  crushed  it  immediately.  He  would  then  naturally 
have  recourse  to  his  hands  to  sustain  his  weight,  but  they  could 
find  no  better  support,  so  that  he  would  sink  altogether  among 
the  broken  mummies,  with  a  crash  of  bones,  rags,  and  wooden 
cases,  which  raised  such  a  dust  as  sometimes  left  him  motion- 
less a  quarter  of  an  hour,  waiting  till  it  subsided  again. 

The  air  in  the  caves  is  almost  unfit  to  sustain  animal  life. 
Belzoni  could  not  have  borne  it  long  at  a  time  ;  and  this  same 
kind  of  air  which  often  proves  fatal  to  the  life  of  animals,  will 
also  extinguish  the  flame  of  a  torch  or  candle. 

The  people  of  Goumou  live  in  the  entrance  of  such  caves 
as  have  already  been  opened  ;  and  by  making  partitions  with 
earthen  walls,  they  form  habitations  for  themselves,  as  well  as 
for  their  cows,  camels,  buffaloes,  sheep,  goats,  and  dogs. 

It  is  difficult  to  account  for  this  choice,  as  they  have  plenty 
of  stone  from  the  surrounding  tombs,  unless  it  be  from  their 
indolence,  to  save  the  trouble  of  building  houses,  and  in  hopes 
of  receiving  money  from  travellers. 

Belzoni's  principal  object  in  entering  those  caves  was  to 
rob  the  Egyptians  of  their  papyri,  of  which  he  found  a  few  hid- 
den in  the  numerous  folds  of  cloth  that  enveloped  them. 

The  ancient  Egyptians  were  evidently  acquainted  with 
linen  manufactures,  and  in  perfection  nearly  equal  to  our  own. 
Belzoni  observed  some  of  the  cloth  of  which  their  garments 
were  made,  quite  as  fine  as  our  muslin,  of  an  even  texture, 
and  spun  so  curiously  that  the  threads  were  scarcely  visible. 

Their  knowledge  was  not  by  any  means  confined  to  archi- 
tecture and  sculpture.  Belzoni  was  fortunate  enough  to  find 
many  specimens  of  their  manufactures,  among  which  was  gold 
leaf  beaten  nearly  as  thin  as  ours.  They  had  also  the  art  of 
tanning  leather,  and  of  staining  it  of  different  colors  ;  and  thus 
they  were  able  to  make  shoes  of  various  shapes,  and  as  good 
as  those  we  wear.  They  fabricated  a  sort  of  glass,  of  which 
they  made  beads  and  other  ornaments ;  and  they  had  also 
manufactories  of  pottery  ware. 


EGYPTIAN  WONDEES.  437 

Besides  enamelling,  tlie  art  of  gilding  was  in  high  perfec- 
tion among  the  Egyptians,  as  Belzoni  found  several  ornaments 
of  that  kind.  They  knew  how  to  cast  copper,  as  well  as  how 
to  form  it  into  sheets  ;  and  had  a  metallic  composition  not  un- 
like our  lead,  but  rather  softer,  resembling  the  lead  we  see  on 
paper,  in  the  tea-chests  from  China,  only  it  was  thicker.  Carved 
works  were  very  common  and  in  great  perfection,  particularly 
in  the  proportion  of  the  figures,  which  were  made  to  preserve 
that  sweet  simplicity  peculiar  to  themselves,  and  which  is  al- 
ways pleasing  to  the  beholder.  The  art  of  varnishing,  and 
baking  the  varnish  on  clay,  was  carried  on  in  so  superior  a 
style,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  surpass  it  in  the  present  day. 

Painting,  however,  was  not  in  so  much  perfection  among 
the  Egyptians  as  the  other  arts.  They  knew  not  how  to  soften 
from  shade  to  shade,  until  the  last  in  "  purest  light  was  lost." 
Neither  could  they  spread  the  glowing  tinge  across  a  sable 
landscape  ;  nor  yet  pencil  a  delicate  flower  unfolding  its  nu- 
merous petals.  Their  painting  was  extremely  simple,  as  they 
possessed  no  knowledge  of  shadowing  to  elevate  their  figures. 
Great  credit,  however,  is  due  to  them  for  their  taste  in  dis- 
posing the  colors,  such  as  they  had,  which  were  only  two  sorts 
of  blue,  red,  green,  yellow,  and  black.  "With  these  they 
adorned  their  temples,  tombs,  or  whatever  they  wished  to 
have  painted. 

The  Egyptians  were  a  primitive  .nation :  they  had  to  form 
every  thing  without  a  model  before  them  to  imitate ;  yet  so 
fertile  was  their  inventive  faculty,  that,  instead  of  confining 
themselves  to  five  orders  of  architecture,  they  had  so  many 
that  new  ones  might  be  continually  extracted  from  their  ruins. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  that  our  Ionic  order  originated  in 
Egypt. 

During  the  time  that  the  works  at  Gournou  and  Carnac 
were  carried  on,  Belzoni  generally  resided  at  Luxor ;  but 
when  he  had  been  busier  than  usual,  he  took  up  his  lodging 
at  the  entrance  of  some  of  the  tombs ;  and,  far  from  being 


438  '        AFRICA. 

miserable,  he  was  amused  with  the  novelty  of  his  habitation. 
The  dwellings  are  usually  in  the  passages,  between  the  first 
and  second  entrance  to  a  tomb ;  the  walls  and  the  roof  are  as 
black  as  any  chimney ;  the  inner  door  is  closed  up  with  mud, 
except  a  small  aperture  sufficient  for  a  man  to  creep  through. 
Within  this  place  sheep  are  kept  at  night. 

A  small  lamp  was  placed  in  a  niche  in  the  wall,  and  a  mat 
was  spread  on  the  ground ;  and  this  formed  the  grand  divan 
wherever  Belzoni  was.  The  people  used  to  assemble  around 
him,  and  the  conversation  turned  wholly  on  antiquities.  Such 
a  one  had  found  such  a  thing,  and  another  had  discovered  a 
tomb.  Various  articles  were  brought  for  him  to  purchase, 
and  he  had  sometimes  reason  to  rejoice  at  having  stayed  there. 

Belzoni  next  proceeded  to  explore  the  ruins  of  one  of  the 
great  temples  near  Wady  Haifa.  An  immense  mass  of  sand 
obstructed  the  entrance.  Belzoni  judged  by  calculations  that 
it  was  not  less  than  thirty-five  feet  in  thickness.  This  sand 
was  a  mass,  accumulated  by  the  winds  for  many  centuries ; 
and  perhaps  the  phenomena  so  common  in  Egypt  had  added  to 
it.  I  mean  the  whirlwinds,  which  occur  all  the  year  round, 
but  especially  at  the  time  of  the  poisonous  wind.  This  wind 
generally  blows  from  the  southwest,  and  lasts  several  days ; 
so  very  strong  that  it  raises  the  sands  to  a  great  height,  form- 
ing a  thick  cloud  in  the  air.  The  caravans  cannot  proceed  in 
the  deserts ;  the  boats  cannot  continue  their  voyages ;  the 
whole  is  like  a  chaos.  Frequently  a  quantity  of  sand  and 
small  stones  gradually  ascend  •  to  a  great  height,  and  form  a 
column  sixty  or  seventy  feet  in  diameter,  and  so  thick,  that, 
were  it  steady  on  one  spot,  it  would  appear  a  solid  mass. 
This  not  only  revolves  within  its  own  circumference,  but  runs 
in  a  circular  direction  over  a  great  space  of  ground,  sometimes 
maintaining  itself  in  motion  for  half  an  hour ;  and  where  it 
falls,  it  accumulates  a  hill  of  sand.  It  is  in  this  way  only  that 
I  can  account  for  the  prodigious  quantity  accumulated  before 
the  door  of  the  temple. 


EGYPTIAN  WONDEES.  439 

It  was  Bekoni's  principal  object  to  reach  that  door,  as  the 
most  speedy  means  of  entering  it.  He  divided  the  men  into 
two  parties,  and  stationed  one  on  each  side  of  the  colossus  that 
stood  over  the  entrance.  They  worked  pretty  well,  but  were 
so  few  that  the  little  sand  they  removed  could  scarcely  be  per- 
ceived. They  rose  every  morning  at  the  dawn  of  day,  and 
left  off  two  hours  and  a  half  after  sunrise.  After  continuing 
their  operation  regularly  for  some  days,  they  perceived  a  rough 
projection  from  the  wall,  which  apparently  indicated  that  the 
work  was  unfinished,  and  no  door  to  be  found  there. 

The  hopes  of  some  of  the  party  began  to  fail ;  but  three 
days  afterwards  they  discovered  a  broken  cornice,  the  following 
day  the  torus,  and  of  course  the  frieze  under,  which  made 
them  almost  sure  of  finding  the  door  the  next  day.  Accord- 
ingly Belzoni  erected  a  palisade  to  keep  the  sand  up,  and  to 
his  great  satisfaction  saw  the  upper  part  of  the  door  as  the 
evening  approached.  They  dug  away  enough  sand  to  be  able 
to  enter  that  night ;  but  supposing  the  air  in  the  cavity  might 
be  unpleasant  they  deferred  this  till  the  following  day. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  first  of  August  they  went  to 
the  temple,  in  high  spii'its  at  the  idea  of  entering  a  newly- 
discovered  place.  They  endeavored  to  enlarge  the  entrance 
as  much  as  they  could,  and,  soon  making  the  passage  wider, 
they  entered  the  finest  and  most  extensive  excavation  in 
Nubia  :  one  that  can  stand  a  competition  with  any  in  Egypt, 
except  the  tomb  more  recently  discovered  in  Beban  el  Malook. 

From  what  they  could  perceive  at  the  first  view,  it  was 
evidently  a  very  large  place  ;  but  their  astonishment  increased 
when  they  found  it  to  be  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  tem- 
ples, enriched  with  statues,  paintings,  and  figures  !  They  en- 
tered at  first  into  a  very  long  portico,  supported  by  two  rows 
of  enormous  square  pillars.  Both  these  and  the  walls  were 
covered  with  beautiful  hieroglyphics,  which  exhibited  battles, 
storming  of  castles,  triumphs  over  Ethiopians,  and  various 
sacrifices. 


440  AFEICA. 

I  will  explain  to  you  the  meaning  of  hieroglyphics. 

The  Egyptians,  before  the  invention  of  letters,  from  their 
observations  on  the  various  properties  of  animals  and  plants, 
and  from  their  knowledge  of  the  uses  of  different  instruments 
also,  had,  with  their  accustomed  ingenuity,  derived  a  variety 
of  devices  or  emblems  ;  and  by  these,  disposed  in  certain  atti- 
tudes, they  could  make  historical  records,  which  would  be  very 
intelligible  to  those  who  were  acquainted  with  their  system ; 
and  such  devices  or  emblems  are  called  hieroglyphics. 

The  characters  now  used  for  the  signs  of  the  zodiac  and 
the  planets  are  specimens  of  hieroglyphics  ;  and  so  is  a  circle, 
or  snake  with  its  tail  in  its  mouth,  when  used  to  signify  eter- 
nity. Flames,  which  are  ever  moving,  represent  light  and 
life  ;  the  lion  or  bull,  indicates  strength ;  the  hawk,  swiftness  ; 
and  so  on. 

The  second  hall  into  which  they  entered  was  very  exten- 
sive, containing  four  large  pillars.  Beydnd  this  was  a  shorter 
chamber,  in  which  was  the  entrance  into  the  sanctuary :  the 
sanctuary  contained  a  pedestal  in  the  centre,  and  at  the  end 
were  four  colossal  figures.  On'  the  right  side  of  the  great  hall, 
entering  into  the  temple,  were  two  doors  at  a  short  distance 
from  each  other,  which  led  into  two  long  separate  rooms,  and 
other  rooms  and  galleries  opened  out  of  them :  so  you  may 
imagine  what  a  fund  of  amusement  and  astonishment  Belzoni 
met  with  at  last. 

The  outside  of  the  temple  was  as  magnificent  as  the  in- 
terior. Only  fancy  it  three  times  the  height  of  our  house — the 
immense  colossi — ^the  figure  of  Osiris  twenty  feet  high,  on  the 
top  of  the  door — the  cornice  enriched  with  hieroglyphics,  and 
the  frieze  beneath ;  and  then  think  that  this  stupendous  place 
was  nearly  two-thirds  buried  under  the  sand,  and  you  cannot 
fail  to  admire  the  labor  and  perseverance  which  must  have 
been  exerted  to  obtain  an  entrance. 

Belzoni  now  experienced  the  truth  of  my  motto,  "  Labor 
OMNIA  viNCiT."     He  was  well  compensated  for  all  his  toil  and 


EGYPTIAN   WONDEES.  441 

anxiety ;  he  no  longer  regarded  tlie  selfishness  of  the  work- 
men :  he  no  longer  regretted  the  want  of  mechanical  powers  ; 
he  had  attained  his  wish ;  he  had  entered  the  famous  temple 
of  Ybsambul  excavated  in  the  solid  rock ;  ajid  in  the  course 
of  a  few  weeks  he  returned,  completely  satisfied,  to  the  little 
island  of  Philoe,  where  Mrs.  Belzoni  joined  the  party,  and 
accompanied  them  to  Thebes. 

Belzoni  was  furnished  with  twenty  men,  and  began  in  good 
spirits  to  search  for  the  tombs  of  the  monarchs  of  Thebes. 

His  only  guide  was  the  knowledge  he  had  acquired  in  his 
many  researches  among  the  tombs  of  Grournou.  He  was  a 
gentleman  of  great  observation,  and  he  found  that  the  Egyp- 
tians had  a  particular  manner  of  forming  the  entrances  into 
their  tombs,  which  gave  him  many  leading  ideas  to  the  dis- 
covery of  them.  Three  days  after  the  excavations  had  com- 
menced, the  first  tomb  was  discovered ;  the  entrance  indicated 
it  to  be  a  very  large  one,  but  it  proved  to  be  only  the  passage 
of  one  that  was  never  finished.  ^However,  this  partial  success 
gave  him  encourageme^ty  as  it  assured  him  that  his  idea  re- 
specting their  situation  was  correct.  In  the  evening  of  the 
same  day  another  tomb  was  discovered,  but  nothing  partic- 
ularly remarkable  was  observed  in  it.  The  next  morning  an 
entrance  was  made  into  another,  containing  many  chambers 
and  passages.  But  it  was  not  till  some  days  after  this  that 
Belzoni  pointed  out  the  fortunate  spot  which  repaid  him  for  all 
his  trouble,  and  compensated  him  for  all  the  mortification  he 
had  received  from  the  operations  of  the  Piedmontese.  He 
says  that  this  day  gave  him  more  pleasure  and  more  gratifica- 
tion than  wealth  could  purchase,  arising  from  the  discovery 
of  what  had  long  been  sought  in  vain,  and  of  presenting  the 
world  with  a  new  and  perfect  monument  of  Egyptian  antiquity, 
which  can  be  recorded  as  superior  to  any  other  in  point  of 
grandeur,  style,  and  preservation,  appearing  as  if  just  finished 
on  the  day  they  entered  it ;  indeed,  what  was  found  in  it  will 
show  its  superiority  to  the  others. 
19* 


44:2  APRICA. 

Not  fifteen  yards  from  the  last  tomb,  Belzoni  caused  the 
earth  to  be  opened  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  hill  and  under  a  tor- 
rent, which,  when  it  rains  in  the  desert,  pours  a  great  quan- 
tity of  water  over  the  very  spot  he  had  caused  to  be  dug. 

One  could  hardly  imagine  that  the  ancient  Egyptians  would 
make  the  entrance  into  such  an  immense  and  superb  exca- 
vation just  under  a  torrent  of  water,  but  Belzoni  had  strong 
reasons  for  supposing  it  from  indications  he  had  observed. 
The  Fellahs,  who  were  accustomed  to  dig,  were  aU  of  opinion 
that  there  was  nothing  in  that  spot,  as  the  situation  of  this 
tomb  differed  from  that  of  any  other.  He  continued  the  work, 
however,  and  the  next  day  he  perceived  the  part  of  the  rock 
that  was  cut  and  formed  the  entrance.  Early  on  the  following 
morning  the  task  was  resumed,  and  about  noon  the  workmen 
reached  the  entrance,  which  was  eighteen  feet  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground.  The  appearance  indicated  that  the  tomb 
was  of  the  first  rate,  but  Belzoni  did  not  expect  to  find  so  mag- 
nificent a  one  as  it  really  proved  to  be. 

The  workmen  possessed  but  a  small  portion  of  their  em- 
ployer's resolution  and  perseverance ;  and  they  advanced  till 
they  saw  it  was  probably  a  large  tomb,  when  they  protested 
they  could  go  no  further,  because  it  was  so  much  choked  up 
with  large  stones,  which  they  could  not  get  out  of  the  passage. 
Belzoni  descended  and  examined  the  place,  pointing  out  to 
them  where  they  might  dig,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  there 
was  room  enough  for  him  to  enter  through  a  passage  that  the 
earth  had  left  under  the  ceiling  of  the  first  corridor ;  at  the 
end  of  this  corridor  he  came  to  a  long  staircase,  at  the  foot  of 
which  a  door  opened  into  a  still  longer  passage,  each  side  of 
which  was  sculptured  with  hieroglyphics  in  basso  relievo. 

The  more  Belzoni  saw,  the  more  he  wished  to  see,  which 
was  very  natural ;  when  our  curiosity  is  excited,  it  is  quite 
right  to  gratify  it,  especially  if  the  object  be  laudable. 

His  anxiety  was,  however,  checked  for  a  time,  for  at  the 
end  of  this  long  corridor  he  roached  a  large  pit,  which  inter- 


EGYPTIAN   WONDERS.  443 

cepted  his  progress.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  pit,  facing 
the  entrance,  Belzoni  perceived  a  small  aperture,  only  two  feet 
wide  and  two  feet  high,  and  at  the  bottom  of  the  wall  a  quan- 
tity of  rubbish.  A  rope  fastened  to  a  piece  of  wood  that  was 
laid  across  the  passage  against  the  projections  which  formed  a 
kind  of  door,  appeared  to  have  been  used  by  the  ancients  for 
descending  into  the  pit ;  and  from  the  small  aperture  on  the 
opposite  side  hung  another,  which  reached  the  bottom,  no 
doubt  for  the  purpose  of  ascending.  They  could  clearly  per- 
ceive that  the  water  that  entered  these  passages  from  the  tor- 
rents of  rain  ran  into  this  pit,  and  the  wood  and  rope  fastened 
to  it  crumbled  to  dust  on  touching  them.  At  the  bottom  of 
the  pit  were  several  pieces  of  wood,  placed  against  the  side  of 
it,  so  as  to  assist  the  person  who  was  to  ascend  by  the  rope 
into  the  aperture. 

Belzoni  saw  the  impossibility  of  advancing  at  the  moment, 
and  Mr.  Beechey,  who  was  with  him,  was  also  disappointed 
of  advancing  any  further.  However,  the  next  day,  by  means 
of  a  long  beam,  they  succeeded  in  sending  a  man  up  into  the 
aperture,  and  having  contrived  to  make  a  little  bridge  of  two 
beams,  they  crossed  the  pit,  which  was  fourteen  feet  wide, 
twelve  feet  long,  and  thirty  feet  deep. 

Belzoni  and  his  friend  entered  this  narrow  aperture.  When 
they  had  passed  through  it,  they  found  themselves  in  a  large 
and  beautiful  hall,  in  which  were  four  square  pillars.  At  the 
end  of  this  entrance  hall  was  a  large  door,  from  which  three 
steps  led  down  into  a  chamber  with  two  pillars.  Belzoni  gave 
this  room  the  name  of  the  drawing-room,  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  others ;  it  was  covered  with  figures,  which  though 
only  outlined,  were  so  fine  and  perfect  that  one  might  think 
they  had  been  drawn  only  the  day  before.  Returning  into 
the  entrance  hall,  they  found  a  large  staircase  descending  into 
a  corridor,  which  they  entered.  They  perceived  that  the 
paintings  became  more  perfect  as  they  advanced  further  into 
the  interior ;  the  varnish  that  was  laid  over  the  colors  had  a 


4:4:4:  AFRICA. 

fine  effect,  and  it  was  astonishing  that  they  were  in  such  good 
preservation.  This  corridor  led  them  to  a  smaller  chamber, 
which  they  called  the  room  of  beauties. 

They  named  it  so,  I  suppose,  because  it  was  adorned  with 
such  beautiful  figures  in  basso  relievo  and  painted ;  when 
standing  in  the  centre  of  this  chamber,  the  traveller  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  assembly  of  Egyptian  gods  and  goddesses. 
Proceeding  onward  they  entered  a  large  hall,  in  which  there 
were  two  rows  of  square  pillars.  Belzoni  named  this  the 
hall  of  pillars. 

A  step  at  the  end  of  this  hall  of  pillars  led  into  a  large  sa- 
loon, with  an  arched  roof  or  ceiling,  and  there  were  entrances 
from  this  saloon  into  many  other  large  rooms  and  chambers  ; 
but  what  Belzoni  found  in  the  centre  of  the  saloon  delighted 
him  more  than  any  thing  else,  and  sufficiently  compensated  for 
the  danger  he  had  undergone  in  crossing  the  little  bridge  over 
the  great  pit,  and  creeping  through  the  narrow  aperture. 

It  was  a  sarcophagus  of  the  finest  oriental  alabaster,  nine 
feet  long  and  three  feet  wide,  transparent,  and  minutely  sculp- 
tured within  and  without  with  several  hundred  figures,  repre- 
senting, I  suppose,  the  whole  of  the  funeral  processions  and 
ceremonies  relating  to  the  deceased  king,  united  with  emblems 
and  other  devices. 

The  Arabs  made  great  report  of  Belzoni*s  discovery ;  it 
came  at  last  to  the  ears  of  Hamed  Aga  of  Kenneh,  and  he  was 
told  that  great  treasure  was  found  in  the  tomb. 

This  was  sufficient  to  excite  his  curiosity,  but  not  enough 
to  gratify  it.  When  the  important  news  reached  him,  he  col- 
lected his  soldiers  together  and  departed  immediately  for 
Thebes,  which  is  generally  a  journey  of  two  days,  but  he 
travelled  with  such  rapidity  as  to  arrive  in  the  valley  of  Beban 
el  Malook  in  thirty-six  hours. 

When  Hamed  Aga  was  introduced  to  Belzoni  he  smiled 
and  saluted  him  very  cordially ;  perhaps  a  little  self-interest 
induced  him  to  do  so.      They  caused  several  lights  to  be 


EGYPTIAN   WONDERS.  445 

brought,  and  descended  together  into  the  tomb.  The  sym- 
bolical representations  on  the  walls  of  this  extraordinary  place 
did  not  attract  his  attention  in  the  least ;  all  the  striking  fig- 
ures and  lively  paintings  were  lost  upon  him  ;  his  views  were 
directed  to  the  treasure  alone,  and  his  attendants,  equally  re- 
gardless of  real  beauties,  sought  in  every  hole  and  corner  in 
hopes  of  finding  the  wished-for  prize.  Nothing,  however,  ap- 
pearing, to  satisfy  their  master  or  themselves,  after  a  long  and 
minute  survey,  the  Aga  ordered  the  soldiers  to  retire,  and 
whispered  to  Belzoni  in  a  cautious  manner,  ''  Pray,  where 
have  you  put  the  treasure?"  "  What  treasure ? "  said  Bel- 
zoni. "  The  treasure  you  found  in  this  place,"  replied  Hamed. 
Our  friend  smiled,  as  weU  he  might  do,  at  the  question,  and 
assured  him  that  he  had  found  no  treasure  there ;  but  this 
only  confirmed  the  troublesome  Aga  in  his  supposition.  He 
laughed,  and  still  continued  to  entreat  that  it  might  be  shown 
him,  adding,  "  I  have  been  told  by  a  person  to  whom  I  can 
give  credit,  that  you  have  found  in  this  place  a  large  golden 
cock  filled  with  diamonds  and  pearls.  I  must  see  it.  Where 
is  it?" 

Belzoni  could  scarcely  refrain  from  laughing,  whilst  he  as- 
sured him  that  nothing  of  the  kind  had  been  found  there. 
Seeming  quite  disappointed,  Hamed  seated  himself  before  the 
beautiful  sarcophagus,  to  Belzoni's  great  dismay,  who  dreaded 
that  he  would  take  it  into  his  head  that  this  was  the  treasure, 
and  break  it  to  pieces,  to  see  whether  it  contained  any  gold  ; 
and,  as  their  notions  of  treasure  are  confined  to  gold  and 
jewels,  I  own  there  seemed  some  danger  of  it.  At  last,  how- 
ever, he  gave  up  the  idea  of  the  expected  riches,  and  rose  to 
go  out  of  the  tomb.  Belzoni  asked  him  what  he  thought  of 
the  beautiful  figures  painted  all  around.  He  just  gave  an  in- 
difierent  glance  at  them,  saying,  "  this  would  be  a  good  place 
for  a  harem,  as  the  women  would  have  something  to  look  at." 
And  though  only  half  persuaded  that  there  was  no  treasure,  he 
set  off  with  an  appearance  of  disappointment  and  vexation. 


446  APEICA. 

Belzoni  having  embarked  all  that  was  found  this  season, 
left  Thebes  with  another  accumulation  of  antiquities,  and  ar- 
rived at  Boolac  after  ten  months'  absence. 

He  there  engaged  Signor  Ricci,  a  young  man  from  Italy, 
to  return  with  him  to  Thebes,  and  to  make  drawings  and  im- 
itations of  the  hieroglyphics.  Mrs.  Belzoni  resolved  to  visit 
the  Holy  Land  in  the  mean  time,  and  to  wait  for  Belzoni  at 
Jerusalem,  whither  he  intended  going  when  the  model  of  the 
tomb  was  completed.  She  did  not  admire  the  inhabitants  of 
Luxor  and  Thebes ;  and  the  idea  of  visiting  the  Holy  Land 
had  first  induced  her  to  accompany  Mr.  Belzoni  into  Egypt ; 
therefore  thinking  this  a  good  opportunity,  she  left  Cairo  at- 
tended by  the  L-ish  boy  and  a  janizary. 

Belzoni  however,  before  he  returned  to  Thebes,  determined 
to  visit  the  Pyramids  in  company  with  two  other  Europeans. 

There  is  so  little  agreement  upon  the  subject  of  the  build- 
ers of  the  Pyramids,  either  among  the  natives  or  historians, 
that  we,  like  Pliny,  must  consider  this  uncertainty  as  a  just 
reward  of  the  vanity  of  those  by  whom  they  were  actually 
erected,  and  of  course,  as  we  cannot  determine  who  were  the 
builders  of  them,  we  should  only  mis-spend  our  time  by  at- 
tempting to  fix  the  period  of  their  erection.  I  believe  that 
their  least  antiquity  must-  be  near  three  thousand  years,  as 
Herodotus,  who  you  know  was  one  of  our  first  historians,  and 
who  lived  above  two  thousand  years  ago,  found  so  little  satis- 
faction in  his  inquiries  after  them ;  and  Diodorus,  who  also 
lived  before  the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  supposes  the  great  Pyra- 
mid to  have  been  built  one  thousand  years  before  his  time. 

Some  of  the  pyramids  had  an  entrance,  and  were  known 
to  be  hollow,  and  others  had  not.  Whilst  Belzoni's  friends 
went  into  the  first  pyramid,  which  is  nearly  the  height  of  St. 
Paul's  Cathedral  in  London,  he  seated  himself  on  a  large  stone 
near  the  second  pyramid,  which  is  about  the  same  height,  and 
fixed  his  eyes  on  that  enormous  mass,  which  for  so  many  ages 
has  bafiled  the  conjectures  of  ancient  and  modern  "writers. 


EGYPTIAN  WONDERS. 


U7 


The  sight  of  this  amazing  work  astonished  him,  as  much 
as  the  total  obscurity  in  which  we  are  of  its  origin,  its  interior, 
and  its  construction.  One  of  the  greatest  wonders  of  the  world 
stood  before  him,  without  his  knowing  whether  it  had  any 
cavity  within,  or  whether  it  was  only  one  solid  mass. 

Various  attempts  had  been  made  by  numerous  travellers 
to  find  an  entrance  into  this  pyramid,  but  so  ineffectually  that 
there  seemed  little  probability  that  even  our  enterprising  Bel- 
zoni  could  succeed.     However,  experience  had  taught  him  to 


THE   PYRAMIDS. 


anticipate  success !  and  he  knew  very  well  that  the  greatest 
difficulties  may  be  overcome  by  patience  and  perseverance. 

He  rose  at  length,  and  by  an  involuntary  impulse  walked 
round  the  pyramid,  surveying  every  part,  and  almost  every 
stone.  When  he  came  on  the  north  side  he  observed  indi- 
cations that  induced  him  to  attempt  searching  there  for  an 
entrance.  He  perceived  an  accumulation  of  huge  stones  ;  con- 
sequently he  had  some  hopes  of  finding  a  passage  under  this 
heap  of  ruins. 

The  following  day  he  resolved  to  make  a  closer  examination, 


448  AFRICA. 

without  communicating  his  secret  to  any  one.  This  review  en- 
couraged him  in  the  attempt,  and  he  applied  without  loss  of 
time  to  the  Bey  for  men  to  assist  him  in  penetrating  one  of 
the  great  pyramids  of  Egypt — one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world ! 

Accordingly  he  left  Cairo,  having  provided  himself  with  a 
small  tent  and  some  provisions,  that  he  might  not  be  obliged 
to  return  to  the  city.  He  found  eighty  Arabs  ready  to  work, 
and  immediately  set  about  the  operation.  They  were  daily 
paid  one  piastre  (or  sixpence)  each.  Several  boys  and  girls 
were  also  employed  to  carry  away  the  earth  as  the  men  dug  it. 
Belzoni  contrived  to  insure  their  good-will  by  trifles  and  pres- 
ents, and  by  pointing  out  to  them  the  advantage  they  would 
gain  if  they  succeeded  in  penetrating  into  the  pyramid,  as 
many  strangers  would  come  to  see  it,  and  they  would  get  bak- 
shis  from  them. 

Belzoni  knew  that  nothing  has  so  much  influence  on  the 
mind  of  an  Arab  as  reasoning  with  him  about  his  own  inter- 
est, and  showing  him  the  right  way  to  benefit  himself.  He 
does  not  seem  to  understand  any  thing  else. 

These  Arabs  worked  with  earnestness  for  some  days  ;  but 
after  many  vain  expectations,  and  much  labor  in  removing  the 
mortar,  which  was  so  hard  that  their  hatchets,  which  were  the 
only  instruments  that  could  be  procured,  were  nearly  all  broken, 
they  began  to  flag  in  their  prospect  of  finding  any  thing ;  and 
Belzoni  seemed  about  to  become  an  object  of  ridicule,  for 
making  tbe  attempt  to  penetrate  into  a  place  which  appeared 
to  them,  as  well  as  to  more  civilized  people,  a  mere  mass  of 
stone ! 

The  cause  of  the  pyramid  appearing  like  a  solid  rock  was, 
that  the  mortar  which  fell  from  the  upper  part  of  it  had  been 
moistened  by  the  dew  (for  in  spring  and  summer  very  heavy 
dews  fall  in  Egypt  at  night),  and  had  gradually  formed  itself 
into  one  mass  with  the  stones. 

Belzoni's  hopes  did  not  forsake  him,  notwithstanding  so 


EGYPTIAN  WONDERS.  449 

many  difficulties  presented  themselves ;  and  the  Arabs,  al- 
though their  zeal  was  somewhat  lessened,  did  not  cease  to 
work  as  long  as  they  received  a  daily  piastre.  At  last,  after 
sixteen  days  of  fruitless  toil,  one  of  the  Arabian  workmen  per- 
ceived a  small  chink  between  two  stones  of  the  pyramid. 
Belzoni  could  just  thrust  a  long  palm  stick  into  it,  which  he 
did  upwards  of  two  yards  ;  and  the  Arab  was  equally  delighted 
with  himself,  thinking  that  he  had  found  the  entrance  so  eagerly 
sought  for. 

Encouraged  by  this  circumstance,  the  people  resumed  their 
former  vigor,  and  the  work  went  on  rapidly.  After  removing 
one  of  these  stones,  and  a  great  quantity  of  sand  and  rubbish, 
they  came  to  an  opening  inwards.  Having  made  it  wide 
enough  to  enter,  Belzoni  took  a  candle  in  his  hand,  and,  look- 
ing in,  perceived  a  spacious  cavity,  of  which  he  could  form  no 
conjecture.  The  size  of  the  entrance  was  increased,  and  he 
found  that  it  was  a  forced  passage,  probably  intended  to  find 
a  way  to  the  centre  of  the  pyramid.  But  the  hope  that  this 
would  lead  to  the"real  entrance  was  in  vain  :  it  gave  him  none, 
and  after  much'  trouble  in  enlarging  it,  he  remained  as  igno- 
rant as  he  was  before  he  began. 

He  gave  a  day's  rest  to  the  Arabs  after  this  disappointment, 
and  dedicated  the  interim  of  their  repose  to  a  closer  inspection 
of  the  stupendous  pile  ;  for  he  was  determined  on  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  intended  purpose. 

The  result  of  this  day  of  researches  was,  that  it  would  be 
better  to  begin  in  another  part ;  and  accordingly  the  Arabs 
were  again  set  to  work.  They  liked  to  receive  their  money, 
but  they  had  no  expectation  that  an  entrance  would  ever  be 
found  !  and  Belzoni  often  heard  them  uttering  in  a  low  voice, 
"  magnoon  ! "  which  is,  in  plain  English,  madman  !  However, 
they  went  on  with  their  excavations,  and  in  a  few  days  Belzoni 
discovered  a  large  block  of  granite  :  this  gave  him  much  pleas- 
ure. The  next  day  three  large  blocks  of  granite  were  uncov- 
ered.    His  expectation  and  hope  increased ;  as,  to  all  appear- 


450  AFRICA. 

ance,  he  was  near  attaining  the  object  of  his  search.  Happily 
he  was  not  mistaken  ;  for  on  the  next  day,  the  2d  of  March, 
1818,  at  noon,  they  came  to  the  right  entrance  into  the  pyra- 
mid. It  proved  to  be  a  passage  only  four  feet  high,  and  it  was 
almost  filled  up  with  large  stones  which  had  fallen  from  the 
upper  part.  With  some  difficulty  the  stones  were  drawn  out 
of  this  passage  ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  evening  of  the  next 
day  that  they  reached  solid  rock. 

At  first  sight  it  appeared  to  be  a  fixed  block  of  stone,  and 
said  ne  plus  ultra,  as  if  ready  to  put  an  end  to  all  Belzoni's 
projects.  On  a  close  inspection,  however,  Mr.  Belzoni  per- 
ceived that,  at  the  bottom,  this  immense  block  was  raised  about 
eight  inches  from  the  groove  cut  to  receive  it,  and  that  it  formed 
in  fact  a  portcullis,  or  sliding  door  of  granite,  one  foot  three 
inches  thick.  To  raise  it  was  a  work  of  immense  difficulty, 
but  it  obeyed  Mr.  Belzoni's  talisman,  perseverance ;  and  it 
was  raised  high  enough  for  a  man  to  pass.  An  Arab  entered 
with  a  torch,  and  returned,  saying  the  place  within  was  very  fine. 

They  continued  by  unwearied  efforts  to  raise  the  portcullis, 
and  at  last  made  the  opening  large  enough  for  Belzoni  to  enter 
it ;  and,  after  thirty  days'  -exertion,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  find- 
ing himself  in  the  way  to  the  central  chamber  of  one  of  the 
two  mighty  pyramids  of  Egypt.  Having  passed  through  sev- 
eral long  passages  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  he  reached  a  door 
at  the  centre  of  a  large  chamber,  and,  walking  two  or  three 
steps,  stood  still  to  contemplate  the  place  where  he  was.  It 
was  a  striking  scene.  He  was  in  the  centre  of  that  pyramid 
which,  from  time  immemorial,  has  been  the  subject  of  the  ob- 
scure conjectures  of  many  hundred  travellers,  both  ancient  and 
modern,  and  against  whose  hollow  sides  the  sound  of  a  human 
voice  had  not  re-echoed  for  more  than  a  thousand  years  ! 

Belzoni*s  torch,  formed  of  a  few  wax  candles,  but  faintly 
glimmered  ;  and  he  looked  round  the  spot  where  not  a  ray  of 
light  had  penetrated  for  more  than  eleven  centuries  !  He  was 
in  the  middle  of  one  of  those  stupendous  pyramids,  which,  in 


EGYPTIAN  WONDERS.  461 

defiance  of  the  ravages  of  time,  still  remain  as  monuments  of 
ancient  magnificence,  and  of  the  evanescent  glory  of  those  by 
whom  they  were  erected. 

In  the  central  chamber,  which  is  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock, 
except  the  roof,  which  is  built  of  blocks  of  stone,  he  found, 
buried  on  a  level  with  me  floor,  a  sarcophagus  eight  feet  long, 
three  feet  six  inches  wide,  and  two  feet  three  inches  deep.  It 
was  surrounded  with  large  blocks  of  granite,  apparently  in- 
tended to  prevent  its  removal.  Its  lid  was  partly  off,  and  it 
contained  a  quantity  of  earth,  stones,  and  some  bones.  From 
an  Arabic  inscription  on  the  wall  of  this  chamber,  it  appears 
that  some  of  the  Arab  rulers  of  Egypt  had  opened  this  pyra- 
mid, and  closed  it  again. 

When  Belzoni  had  examined,  and  entered  and  reentered 
the  many  chambers  and  passages  within  the  pyramid,  he  re- 
turned to  open  daylight,  highly  gratified  with  the  result  of  his 
researches. 

In  a  few  days,  Belzoni,  having  settled  his  affairs,  became 
anxious  to  return  to  the  valley  of  Beban  el  Malook ;  and  not 
omitting  to  pro\^ide  himself  with  every  thing  necessary  for 
forming  models  and  impressions  of  the  figures,  emblems,  and 
hieroglyphics  in  the  tomb  of  Psammuthis,  he  set  off  for  his  old 
habitation  among  the  sepulchres  of  Thebes. 

Belzoni's  most  remarkable  exploit  was  the  removal  of  the 
obelisk  of  Philoe  (made  of  granite,  twenty-two  feet  long)  to 
England.  He  went  to  the  island  of  Philoe,  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  men,  to  take  a  view  of  the  bank  where  he  had  to 
embark  the  obelisk.  In  a  few  days  he  set  the  men  to  work, 
and  procured  a  boat  to  put  it  in.  The  greatest  difficulty 
seemed  to  be  to  persuade  the  captain  to  have  the  boat  launched 
down  the  cataract  of  the  Nile,  which  it  necessarily  must  be, 
with  the  obelisk  on  board.  However,  the  promise  of  a  hand- 
some present  procured  an  assurance  that  he  would  accomplish 
the  undertaking.  He  had  some  little  trouble  to  procure  a  few 
sticks  or  small  poles  from  Assouan,  as  there  is  no  wood  in 


452 


APEICA. 


these  places,  except  what  they  procure  from  Cairo.  He  had 
also  some  difficulty  in  removing  the  obelisk  from  its  situation ; 
but  once  put  on  its  way,  it  soon  came  to  the  water  side. 

Belzoni  gave  orders  for  a  sort  of  temporary  pier  to  be 
made  of  large  blocks  of  stone.     When  finished,  no  doubt  arose 


GRAND  TEMPLE  AT  CAIRO. 


of  its  being  strong  enough  for  the  weight  it  had  to  support. 
But,  alas !  when  the  obelisk  came  gradually  on  from  the 
sloping  bank,  and  the  heavy  mass  rested  on  it,  the  pier,  with 


EGYPTIAN  WONDEES.  453 

the  obeKsk  and  some  of  the  men,  took  a  slow  movement,  and, 
to  Belzoni's  dismay,  descended  majestically  into  the  river. 

The  laborers  were  of  various  humors :  some  were  sorry, 
not  for  the  obelisk,  which  was  no  loss  to  them,  but  for  the  loss 
of  what  they  might  have  gained  in  future  operations,  by  pass- 
ing it  down  the  cataract :  others  were  laughing,  probably  at 
the  evident  disappointment  expressed  in  the  countenance  of 
our  friend.  Some  went  one  way,  and  some  another ;  and 
Belzoni  remained  alone,  absorbed  in  thought,  contemplating 
the  little  part  that  projected  out  of  the  water,  and  meditating 
upon  the  possibility  of  once  more  placing  it  upon  the  dry 
land. 

The  laborers  were  excellent  watermen,  and  could  bear  the 
water  the  whole  day  without  difficulty ;  so  Belzoni  had  the 
advantage  in  this  respect.  The  following  morning  the  work 
commenced.  Several  men  entered  the  river,  and  made  a  great 
heap  of  stones  on  the  side  of  the  obelisk  opposite  to  the  shore, 
so  as  to  form  a  bed  for  the  levers  to  rest  upon.  He  then 
placed  the  levers  under  the  obelisk,  so  that  by  their  pressure 
it  was  forced  to  turn  round  upon  its  axis,  or,  to  be  more  par- 
ticular, one  end  of  the  long  poles,  called  the  levers,  passed 
under  the  obelisk,  and  a  short  distance  from  that  end  they 
rested  upon  the  rock  of  stones  which  thus  formed  a  fulcrum 
for  the  levers  to  turn  upon ;  the  men  seated  themselves  on  the 
other  extremity,  and  their  weight  caused  the  obelisk  to  turn 
gently  round  and  round,  until  it  reached  the  dry  ground.  Two 
ropes  were  also  passed  under  it,  and  the  men  on  shore  pulled 
the  two  ends  of  these  ropes  with  all  their  might.  At  the  side 
where  the  levers  were,  some  good  divers  were  stationed,  who 
were  ready  to  put  large  stones  under  the  obelisk  as  it  rose, 
that  it  might  not  return  to  its  former  situation. 

You  can  fancy  how  busy  they  all  looked.  The  men  at  the 
ropes  were  pulling  with  all  their  strength  ;  those  on  the  rocks 
were  rising  and  sitting,  to  make  the  levers  act ;  and  the  divers 
were  placing  stone  after  stone,  whilst  the  obelisk  was  gradually 


464:  AFKIOA. 

rising  and  moving  round  at  each  turn  by  its  own  weight.  So 
they  go  on,  until,  to  Belzoni's  great  joy,  he  beholds  it  once 
more  on  terra  firma^  where  it  was  in  the  course  of  two  days ; 
but  another  difficulty  awaits  it  before  it  reaches  Alexandria, 
and  that  is  descending  the  cataract. 

It  was  yet  to  be  embarked,  and  this  time  the  operation  was 
performed  by  means  of  a  bridge  of  palm-trees,  thrown  from 
across  the  boat  to  the  land  under  the  obelisk,  which  was  then 
turned  on  the  bridge,  and  placed  on  board ;  when  in  the  centre 
of  the  boat  the  trees  were  moved  from  under  it;  and  no 
sooner  was  this  done  than  the  party  set  off  with  the  obelisk, 
to  have  it  ready  to  be  launched  down  the  cataract  the  next 
morning. 

It  had  to  descend  the  greatest  fall  of  water  in  the  cataract. 
When  the  inundation  is  half  high  in  the  Nile,  it  is  a  column 
of  water  about  three  hundred  yards  in  length,  which  falls 
among  rocks  and  stones  projecting  in  various  directions.  The 
boat  was  brought  to  the  margin  of  the  cascade  ;  a  strong  rope, 
or  rather  a  small  cable,  was  fastened  to  a  large  tree,  the  end 
of  which  was  passed  through  the  beams  t>f  the  boat,  so  as  to 
be  slackened  or  stopped  at  pleasure.  In  the  boat  there  were 
only  five  men ;  and  on  the  rocks  on  each  side  of  the  cascade  a 
number  of  others  in  various  places,  with  ropes  attached  to  the 
boat,  so  as  to  put  it  either  to  one  side  or  other,  as  it  required, 
to  prevent  its  running  against  the  stones  ;  for  you  know  if  it 
had  been  touched  ever  so  slightly,  with  such  a  weight  on  board, 
and  in  such  a  rapid  stream,  the  boat  would  probably  have  been 
dashed  to  pieces. 

The  rope  Belzoni  had  got  from  Assouan  was  only  sufficient 
to  check  its  course  ;  and  when  the  boat  was  moving  so  rapidly, 
any  attempt  to  stojp  its  progress  would  have  made  the  water 
run  in  and  sink  it  in  a  moment.  Under  these  circumstances, 
all  depended  upon  the  dexterity  of  the  men  who  were  posted 
in  various  parts  to  pull  or  slacken  as  necessity  required.  Bel- 
zoni did  not  fail  to  use  all  the  persuasion  possible,  and  the  wild 


EGYPTIAN  WONDEKS. 


455 


people,  as  he  calls  them,  were  upon  this  occasion  as  careful  as 
so  many  pilots. 

The  reis,  or  owner  of  the  boat,  was  in  great  distress,  think- 
ing it  would  certainly  be  lost.  He  had  engaged  his  vessel 
merely  because  it  happened  that  his  trade  failed ;  but  when  he 
saw  the  danger  it  was  in,  he  cried  like  a  child,  and  begged 
Belzoni  would  relinquish  his  project  and  return  his  boat  to  him 
in  safety. 

Tears  were  certainly  useless  and  not  very  manly,  but  we 
must  remember  that  his  livelihood,  poor  fellow,  depended  on 
his  boat.  When  he  saw  it  on  the  point  of  being  launched,  he 
threw  himself  with  his  face  to  the  ground,  and  did  not  rise  till 
it  was  out  of  danger.  When  all  was  ready,  Belzoni  gave  the 
signal  to  slacken  the  cable. 

The  boat  moved  forward  with  great  rapidity.  The  men 
on  land  slackened  the  rope,  and  it  continued  its  course  tiU  it 
reached  the  end  of  the  cataract. 

The  poor  reis  was  delighted ;  he  did  not  lie  on  the  ground 
any  longer,  but  went  full  of  joy  to  congratulate  himself  and 
Belzoni.  The  workmen  altogether  seemed  pleased  at  the  good 
success  of  the  attempt,  even  independently  of  the  interest  they 
might  derive  from  it.  This  was  gratifying  to  our  antiquary, 
for  it  is  not  very  often  that  such  feelings  enter  the  bosoms  of 
the  Arabs.  Having  only  two  or  three  places  of  little  danger 
to  pass,  they  arrived  safely  at  Assouan  on  the  same  day. 

Our  traveller  was  now  about  to  bid  a  final  adieu  to  Egypt. 
Before  he  embarked  he  retraced  the  scenes  which  had  yielded 
him  so  much  delight ;  he  paid  a  melancholy  visit  to  the  mag- 
nificent remains  of  ancient  grandeur  ;  gazed  for  the  last  time 
upon  the  temples  and  columns  which  have  triumphed  over  the 
corroding  influence  of  the  universal  ravager ;  and  beheld  the 
valley,  the  place  in  which  his  labors  had  been  crowned  with 
so  much  success,  with  painful  feelings  and  mingled  emotions 
of  pleasure  and  regret.  He  left  the  spot  so  long  known,  and 
BO  long  endeared  to  him,  in  January,  1819,  and  arrived  in 


456 


AFEICA. 


Cairo  the  following  montli.  At  this  place  they  stopped  only 
a  few  days,  and  continued  their  voyage  to  Rosetta,  where, 
taking  the  obelisk  with  them,  they  reembarked  on  board  a 
djerm,  and  arrived  in  the  course  of  a  short  time  at  Alexandria, 
whence  they  took  passage  for  Europe. 


THE   END, 


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